ASAM Submits Letter in Support of Creation of ICD-10-CM Codes for Synthetic Cannabinoid Use and Poisoning

On December 5, ASAM submitted a letter to the National Center for Health Statistics in support of the creation of ICD-10-CM codes for synthetic cannabinoid use and poisoning. The letter noted that the new codes would help stakeholders gain a better understanding of the impact of synthetic cannabinoid use on the public health.

The letter also stressed that synthetic cannabinoid use and poisonings have caused rising morbidity, mortality, and an overall public health burden across all segments of the population. Furthermore, there are critical gaps in surveillance that constrain the ability of public health, the medical community, and policy makers to track and understand synthetic cannabinoid use and harms. The addition of these codes will help close these gaps and help create the data necessary to better understand the incidence of synthetic cannabinoid use and poisoning.

Read the letter here.