American Society of Addiction Medicine

American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
Logo of American Society of Addiction Medicine
Motto Treat Addiction. Save Lives
Formation 1954 (1954)[1]
Type Professional association
Legal status 501(c)(3)[2]
Headquarters Rockville, Maryland[3]
Location
  • United States
Membership
5,000
Kelly J. Clark, MD, MBA, DFAPA, DFASAM[4]
Penny S. Mills, MBA[5]
Website www.asam.org

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is an addiction medicine professional society representing over 5,000 physicians, clinicians and associated professionals with a focus on addiction and its treatment.

History

ASAM has its roots in research and clinical traditions that pre-date its founding in the early 1950s, when Ruth Fox, M.D. began regular meetings with other physicians interested in alcoholism and its treatment at the New York Academy of Medicine. In 1954 these physicians established the New York City Medical Society on Alcoholism (later expanded as NYCMSA and Other Drug Dependencies) with Dr. Fox as its first President.

ASAM was admitted to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates as a voting member in June 1988, and in June 1990 the AMA added addiction medicine (ADM) to its list of designated specialties.

In 1989, to reflect the Society's concern with all drugs of addiction as well as its interest in establishing addiction medicine as part of mainstream medicine, the organization was renamed the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).

Strategic plan and goals

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has a new strategic plan for the years 2018-2021 and they plan to focus on the entire range that is the addiction treatment and the recovery period. With this new plan the organization believes that they “will continue to set standards, pioneer research, educate professionals and the public, and challenge stigma.” Overall the organization has one main vision and that is that there will be all aspects of addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery will be available for everyone who wants or needs it to better themselves and therefore with this it could better all aspects of addiction treatment programs.[6]

Addictions Awareness Ribbon

Values

There are certain values that the American Society of Addiction Medicine tries to uphold to their utmost potential. One of the values is leadership and the ASAM believes they are true to this value since the employees that work in the organization are devoted to the wellness of people in need. Other values are innovation and integrity. They demonstrate these values with the use of evidence in policy statements that the organization puts out since they want to have the correct information. Also they believe in the value that is openness and they trust that they are following this value since the organization believes that they are dispersing the best addiction treatment. The last main value is compassion, and this value is evident by the statement that the organization has released saying that they are devoted to the treatment and problem that is addiction.[7]

Ruth Fox Memorial Endowment Fund

This is a fund that was established in honor of the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s first president and founder Dr. Ruth Fox. This fund is used by the organization to help fund opportunities to grow and expand while allowing other funds, such as membership dues, to keep the organization running normal and functional. Another thing that was established in honor of the founder and first president is The Ruth Fox Scholarship and this is funded by the endowment fund. The scholarship is given to students who are interested in the field of addiction research and treatment. The students are also given an all expense paid trip to the ASAM’s annual conference as a part of the scholarship. During the ASAM annual conference, the donors that have contributed five thousand or more dollars are honored at a special invitation only reception as a thank you.[8]

Upcoming events for the American Society of Addiction Medicine

From April 12th, 2018, to April 15th, 2018, the 49th American Society of Addiction Medicine annual conference was held in San Diego, California at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. From July 26th, 2018, to July 28th, 2018, there will be the ASAM review course in addiction medicine held in Dallas, Texas at The Gaylord Texan Resort. From April 4th, 2019, to April 7th, 2019, there will be the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s 50th annual conference and that will be held in Orlando, Florida held at the Hilton Orlando.[9]

A mention of the benefits that come from joining the American Society of Addiction Medicine

The ASAM is a large professional society and they are pursuing to make the addiction medicine field more extensive. Being a member of the ASAM organization, gives one the opportunity to help expand the treatment and protocol within addiction treatment by helping the organization by becoming a member. Also there is an increased access to peers and the opportunity to network with them. This also gives one opportunity to attend courses in addiction medicine.[10]

How to take action according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine

The organization believes that it is important that as a citizen you help promote democracy and because of that they want people to help sway their representative’s votes on certain bills. The organization believes that there are a few ways that one can do to accomplish this. One way is to call a senator and tell them what one believes is the right choice and how they should vote; another way is to use Twitter or Facebook and tell the representatives, there as well, so that they can see what the public opinion is.[11]

A policy statement on the Ethical Promotion of Addiction Treatment Medications

The overall policy statement is about the part or features of the different pharmaceutical companies and how they need to keep all these aspects ethical. Some of the aspects are how they work with their clients, patients and medicine in general, also how they produce and develop the medicine. Some of the American Society of Addiction Medicine recommendations are that pharmaceutical organizations need to not break any rules that have been set by the Federal Drug Administration, need to not do anything that will result in legislative activity, and to use correct language that coincides with the definition of the disorders that are being presented.[12]

Annual conference and meetings

Part of ASAM's mission is to educate providers and the public about the practice of Addiction Medicine.

Positions

ASAM is critical of the current regulatory state of marijuana, holding that there is no such thing as appropriate medical use of the plant cannabis; in 2010, the society published a white paper calling for federal regulations to oversee research and development of cannabis based medicines and issued recommendations for state medical authorities to "...assure that physicians who choose to discuss the medical use of cannabis and cannabis-based products with patients...[a]dhere to the established professional tenets of prr patient care...";[3] in 2012 the society stated that there is no "Medical marijuana" because the plant parts in question fails to meet the standard requirements for approved medicines, that Marijuana has many serious, negative health effects.[4]

Journal of Addiction Medicine

Published six times per year, the Journal of Addiction Medicine (JAM) is the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. The mission of JAM is to promote excellence in the practice of addiction medicine and in clinical research as well as to support addiction medicine as a mainstream medical specialty.

The current Editor-in-Chief is Dr. Richard Saitz.

Other publications

  • Principles of Addiction Medicine, Richard K. Ries, Shannon C. Miller, David A. Fiellin, Richard Saitz, editors. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; fourth edition (2009), ISBN 978-0-7817-7477-2
  • The ASAM Criteria, David Mee-Lee, editor. The Change Companies (2013) ISBN 978-1-61702-197-8
  • The ASAM Essentials of Addiction Medicine, Abigail J. Herron, DO, Timothy K. Brennan, MD, MPH, editors. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; second edition (2015), ISBN 9781451194463

Presidents

TermPresident
1954–1961Ruth Fox, MD
1961–1963Stanley Gitlow, MD
1963–1965Luther A. Cloud, MD
1965–1967Percy E. Ryberg, MD
1967–1969Arnold S. Zentner, MD
1969–1971Ruth Fox, MD
1971–1973Stanley Gitlow, MD
1973–1975Maxwell N. Weisman, MD
1975–1977Charles S. Lieber, MD
1977–1979Joseph J. Zuska, MD
1979–1981Sheila B. Blume, MD
1981–1983LeClair Bissell, MD
1983–1985Irvin L. Blose, MD
1985–1987Max A. Schneider, MD
1987–1989Margaret Bean-Bayog, MD
1989–1991Jasper G. Chen See, MD
1991–1993Anthony B. Radcliffe, MD
1993–1995Anne Geller, MD
1995–1997David E. Smith, MD
1997–1999G. Douglas Talbott, MD
1999–2001Marc Galanter, MD, FASAM
2001–2002Andrea Barthwell, MD, FASAM
2002–2005Lawrence S. Brown, Jr., MD
2005–2007Elizabeth F. Howell, MD
2007–2009Michael M. Miller, MD
2009–2011Louis E. Baxter, Sr., MD, FASAM
2011–2013Donald J. Kurth, MD
2013–2015Stuart Gitlow, MD, MPH, MBA, DFAPA, DFASAM
2015–2017R. Jeffrey Goldsmith, MD, DLFAPA, DFASAM
2017-2019Kelly J. Clark, MD, MBA, DFAPA, DFASAM

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ "American Society of Addiction Medicine Inc." Exempt Organization Select Check. Internal Revenue Service. Accessed on May 22, 2016.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ "Board of Directors". American Society of Addiction Medicine. Accessed on May 22, 2016.
  5. ↑ "ASAM Staff". American Society of Addiction Medicine. Accessed on May 22, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Strategic Plan". American Society of Addiction Medicine. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "Strategic Plan". American Society of Addiction Medicine. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "Ruth Fox Endowment". American Society of Addiction Medicine. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  9. ↑ "CME Events". American Society of Addiction Medicine. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "Benefits". American Society of Addiction Medicine. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  11. ↑ "Take Action". American Society of Addiction Medicine. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Ethical Promotion of Addiction Treatment Medications". American Society of Addiction Medicine. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
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