The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) will be hosting the first ever Addiction Treatment Gap Awareness Week April 24th to 30th, 2017. This national awareness week will be dedicated to recognizing the significant gap in treatment for those with the disease of addiction.
The statistics which reflect the severity of the treatment gap are staggering. Nearly 20.5 million Americans suffer from a substance use disorder (SUD), yet only 1 in 10 people with SUD receive treatment.
"ASAM has been dedicated to helping physicians treat addiction and save lives since 1954. The first ever ABPM addiction medicine exam is the catalyst for moving addiction into mainstream medicine,” said Kelly Clark, MD, MBA, DFASAM, President of ASAM. "Certifying more addiction medicine physicians and educating the public can help close the treatment gap and ensure that patients receive the care they need."
Addiction medicine was recognized as an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) subspecialty in 2016, and the first-ever addiction medicine certification exam from the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) will certify physicians in this subspecialty and offer them the unique ability to treat those with addiction. The ABPM addiction medicine exam will allow physicians to become board-certified in addiction medicine and will help close the treatment gap. ASAM is working diligently to promote this opportunity to as many physicians as possible. For a limited time period, ABMS board-certified physicians may qualify to take the exam by either meeting practice experience requirements or completing an addiction medicine fellowship.
During Addiction Treatment Gap Awareness Week, ASAM is hosting an informational webinar on April 25th with experts from federal organizations and ABPM to help physicians learn about the process of becoming certified and treating this insidious disease. ASAM is also collaborating with other organizations to promote awareness of this chronic brain disease, diminish stigma, and help those in need receive proper treatment.
Together, we can close the treatment gap. Join us for Addiction Treatment Gap Awareness Week from April 24th to 30th and help treat addiction and save lives.
