ASAM Joins AMA Opioid Task Force

On July 29, the American Medical Association Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse announced their initial recommendations to address the growing opioid epidemic. ASAM joined 26 other physician organizations, 17 specialty and 7 state medical societies to help identify the best practices to address this public health crisis nationwide.

“The help of every clinician in every treatment setting is needed to help bring an end to this public health epidemic” said ASAM’s representative on the AMA Task Force, Richard Soper, MD, JD, FASAM. Soper also expressed ASAM’s gratitude to the AMA for bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders to work together on treating and finding solutions to opioid abuse.

The task force highlighted state-based prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) as an effective tool to help physicians diagnose patients who may be suffering from opioid use disorders and to assist those patients in seeking proper treatment. ASAM has recommended full use of PDMPs since 2012. The task force is specifically focusing on encouraging physicians to register and use existing PDMPs as a part of the early decision-making process when diagnosing and treating a new patient.

The task force also aims to enhance physicians' education on safe, effective and evidence-based prescribing. They have created a new resource web page that houses vital information on PDMPs and their effectiveness for physician practices, as well as a robust national marketing, social and communications campaign to significantly raise awareness of the steps that physicians can take to combat this epidemic and ensure they are aware of all options available to them for appropriate prescribing.

For those seeking education, ASAM’s REMS course offers information on long-acting extended-release opioids and can be an essential primer for any prescriber new to opioid medications. Stayed tuned for updates on ASAM’s involvement and on the AMA task force for curbing opioid abuse.