Educations

Plugged In: How one ASAM member is connecting a younger generation to the Society.

Patrick C. Beeman, MD, never intended to enter the field of addiction medicine. After completing his medical residency in 2014, Dr. Beeman served in the US Air Force for four years. He then moved back to his hometown in Ohio, where he practiced as an obstetrician-gynecologist.

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Bridging the Gap in Rural Communities: A Call to Treat Addiction and Save Lives

National Addiction Treatment Week reminds us that addiction is a chronic, treatable disease and endeavors to end the stigma associated with addiction. It also serves as a call to action for those in the medical community to learn about and treat addiction.

Educations

ASAM’s Updated Tobacco Use Disorder Course Goes Live in November

While trends associated with opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) continue to rightfully hold much of our national attention, the leading cause of substance use death -- tobacco use disorder (TUD) -- continues to quietly kill.

Educations

Elevating Addiction Treatment: How Motivational Interviewing Encourages Patients to Seek Change

In the evolving landscape of addiction treatment, clinicians must continue to build strong and trusting relationships with their patients. These relationships ensure that their patients adhere to care programs and receive the treatment they need – qualities that are particularly necessary in the face of the public health crisis of substance use disorder. Motivational Interviewing (MI), a strategy which has gained recognition in recent years, is an impactful way to encourage patient engagement. This patient-centered communication style enhances patient engagement and strengthens the doctor-patient partnership, leading to improved treatment adherence and health outcomes.

Educations

Go Micro! TNSAM President Celebrates Involvement in ASAM’s State Chapters

Dr. Kirby, a board-certified addiction medicine specialist who entered the field eight years ago, has served on several ASAM committees, including -- most recently -- the Finance, Steering, Legislative, and Conference Planning committees. He was a co-author for the fourth edition of the ASAM Criteria®, set to be published this fall, and he has previously sat on ASAM’s Levels of Care and the Withdrawal Management committees. Currently, Dr. Kirby is focused on advancing addiction medicine at the micro level – that is, the state level -- which he also sees as critical to making lasting, effective change.

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Prevention

This policy statement makes recommendations that can increase access to high-quality, evidence-based prevention measures, which not only prevent substance use and related harms, but also promote health, wellbeing, and advance equity in society.

Educations

Managing Multimodal Care for Patients with Co-Occurring Pain and Addiction

Do you treat patients who struggle with pain and addiction in your clinical setting? If you have a busy clinical medicine or behavioral health practice, then you surely do. But how do you best manage the complex, multimodal care required for effective treatment of patients with chronic pain and addiction?

Educations

Finding Lifesaving Solutions to a Dangerous Trend

How one ASAM member’s interest in the latest street drug xylazine went viral.

Educations

Refocusing Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) to Serve Public Health

ASAM supports measures that protect public and patient health and safety, which includes a proper role for Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) that promote safer prescribing and dispensing practices for controlled medications. This statement makes recommendations to ensure PDMPs serve public health.

Educations

Dr. Nicholaus Christian: Finding the Path

When the opioid crisis struck Dr. Christian’s hometown, it ignited a passion for treating addiction. ASAM helped him turn his passion into a career.

Educations

Dr. Alvin Pelt: The Reluctant Addiction Medicine Specialist

In the early 1990s, Alvin Pelt, MD, FASAM, enjoyed his career as a general psychiatrist, focusing on individual psychotherapy and on treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. When patients needed help with addiction, however, he referred them elsewhere. He had no desire to treat patients with substance use disorders.

Educations

Distinguished Fellow Recognition Advances U of M Medical School Grad’s Career

A 2009 graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School has taken her career to the next level since becoming a distinguished fellow with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). JoAn Laes, MD, FACMT, DFASAM, who is board-certified in addiction medicine, medical toxicology, and internal medicine, earned the prestigious honor in 2022.

Educations

Frequently Asked Questions

Educations

Dr. Ponce Martinez: Ten Questions to Encourage a Patient’s Journey in Addiction Treatment

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an effective counseling approach that helps patients with addiction treatment and cultivates motivation for sustained recovery.

Educations

Why Become Board Certified in Addiction Medicine?

Certification demonstrates a physician’s expertise in the subspecialty of addiction medicine and commitment to providing evidence-based quality care. The ABPM addiction medicine board exam sets the minimum competency requirements to diagnose and treat patients with addiction.

Educations

Distinguished Fellow Recognition Advances JHSPH Grad’s Career

A 2016 graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has taken her career to the next level since becoming a distinguished fellow with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). Megan Buresh, MD, DFASAM, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Addiction Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with a joint appointment in epidemiology at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, earned the prestigious honor in April 2022.

Educations

What You Need to Know About Naloxone

Naloxone is a fast-acting antagonist used to reverse opioid overdose, a condition that may be life-threatening. ASAM recommends several steps to increase access to naloxone in communities.

Educations

Loneliness and Addiction are Linked

Loneliness has become a significant public health issue – to the degree that Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has declared it an epidemic. While there are many factors contributing to this trend, addiction and loneliness are closely linked and often mutually reinforcing. Treating addiction is a priority when addressing the loneliness epidemic.

Educations

A Letter to ASAM Members

As ASAM’s 30th president, I am honored to serve alongside this diverse and accomplished membership of addiction specialists. We are the change agents leading the modernization of the health care landscape. Together, we can build bridges to addiction treatment throughout our communities, support the expansion of the addiction medicine workforce, and dive deeper into understanding the science of addiction. By continuing to transfer scientific knowledge into clinical practice, we will ensure that we treat patients where they are and increase our ability to save lives.

Educations

NIDA Young Investigator Travel Award Recipients Grateful for Annual Conference Experience

Recipients of this year’s NIDA Young Investigator Travel Award recently returned from their first ASAM Annual Conference, which they said renewed their excitement for the field of addiction medicine.