The U.S. House will vote on the HALT Fentanyl Act tomorrow. This misguided bill would ramp up harsh mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl analogues. And it would permanently make all fentanyl-related substances Schedule I without first testing them for benefits or harm.
Criminalization has failed to keep us safer. Instead, it’s actually fueling the tragic overdose crisis. Increasing penalties will only make things worse.
CSAM is now accepting nomination submissions for the Vernelle Fox & Community Service Awards!
Honoring an Inquiring Mind, Courage, and Enthusiasm
Inquiring Mind – Contributions to the understanding of the field
Courage – Resolution and tenacity
Enthusiasm – Energy for the positive
CSAM recognizes physicians who have made noteworthy and lasting contributions in line with the mission of the Society: contributions which improve the quality of health care services, increase communication and education among providers of care and add to the research on which the understanding of the field is based and on which the health care services are built.
This award will be presented to the selected candidate during the CSAM 2023 Addiction Medicine Review Course and Board Exam Preparation Track.
If you have someone in mind you feel is worthy of the Vernelle Fox Award, please CLICK HERE to submit a nomination on their behalf.
Please submit your nomination by June 15, 2023!
Recognizing non-physicians who make outstanding contributions to the community
The Community Service award recognizes a non-physician who made outstanding contributions to the community. This CSAM award is presented based on merit and since 1985, it has been awarded to a wide variety of legislators, activists, community leaders, etc., all with one thing in common: they have improved the lives of those suffering from the disease of addiction, and by doing so have contributed a valuable service to the community.
This award will be presented to the selected candidate during the CSAM 2023 Addiction Medicine Review Course and Board Exam Preparation Track.
If you have someone in mind you feel is worthy of the Community Service Award, please CLICK HERE to submit a nomination on their behalf.
Included in this issue: Letter from the CSAM President, Karen Miotto, Message from the CSAM Conference Committee Chair, MERF Update, How I Ended Up in Addiction Medicine by CSAM President Elect Sharone Abramowitz MD FASAM, CSAM Government Affairs Committee Update, Case Discussions are Back! by CSAM Secretary Dana Harris MD, CSAM Interview with CA Bridge Program Co-Founder Andrew Herring with Ingeborg Schafhalter MD, ABPM Practice Pathway Sunsetting by Chwen-Yuen Angie Chen MD FACP FASAM, PRESS RELEASE: Victory for Public Health: U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Tobacco Industry’s Challenge to Los Angeles County Law Ending Flavored Tobacco Sales, Tobacco Cessation in Substance Use Treatment: Research & Policy Efforts to Reduce Tobacco-Related Health Inequality by Chwen-Yuen Angie Chen MD FACP FASAM, and A 50 Year CSAM Celebration!
We are pleased to announce that we are hard at work developing our small group case discussions, a time-honored CSAM tradition. Our attendees consistently tell us that this is one of the many things that set CSAM conferences apart, as these discussions enhance both learning and community building.
We have been asked over the years why the case discussions don’t include outcomes and I had the opportunity to discuss this with Dr. Steve Eickelberg, who is one of our cherished long-term CSAM members and who has written so many of the cases that you have been challenged by over the years. Here’s a bit of our conversation:
DH: So, you’ve written dozens of cases over the years, and I know that you and I have often discussed the value of NOT providing more clear outcomes (“the answers”), something that seems to be a challenge for many of our attendees. I wonder if you could speak to that.
SE: Sure. Well, what is the goal of these case discussions? From my perspective the goal is really to experience the value of collaboration and to learn to trust the brain trust of this incredible community. The “answers” come out of the discussion.
DH: Of course. But we know that so many of our attendees are studying for the certification exam in review course years, and as conference planners we often wonder if the ambiguity of these case outcomes is as satisfying to our test takers.
SE: Isn’t that the process of practicing medicine? You have a clinical situation that comes up and there is no single answer. There is a process that involves using our colleagues to try to find the best clinical approach. So, in a sense the case discussions present much more of a real world process – that of learning from your colleagues the information you don’t have and how to apply it to a situation. This is about applying adult learning principles and process based learning. And well, if these cases promote some discomfort about not knowing certain concepts, isn’t that wonderful motivation to continue to seek information and approach peers?
DH: You’ve been such an integral part of carrying on this rich CSAM tradition. I wonder if you could say a bit about what case discussions have meant for you.
SE: When I came to my first CSAM conference as a physician, very new to addiction medicine, I was asked to be a table facilitator for the case discussions and I absolutely fell in love with the process! It was so reassuring to know that as a new addiction doc I could facilitate this group and not know the answers! I realized that the information coming from my colleagues was far better than anything I could have prepared, and the process of drawing my colleagues out in these discussions was just so gratifying.
DH: Well, I for one, want to thank you for the incredible work you have done crafting these truly challenging cases and helping to make CSAM conferences ones that our members continue to return to.
We hope that you share our enthusiasm for case discussions and will join us at the 2023 Review Course, where we will challenge you with all new cases.
Governor Newsom Releases Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis
Governor Newsom has invested over $1 billion to tackle the crisis Through CalRx, California will seek to manufacture its own Naloxone Master Plan provides comprehensive approach to save more lives
SAN DIEGO COUNTY – Today, following a visit to the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Governor Gavin Newsom released his administration’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis. Recognizing the opioid and fentanyl crisis as a multifaceted public health and public safety issue, Governor Newsom’s Master Plan provides a comprehensive approach to save lives. The Master Plan builds on the Governor’s $1 billion investment to tackle this crisis — including an expansion of California National Guard-supported operations that last year led to a 594% increase in seized fentanyl. The Master Plan outlines aggressive steps to support overdose prevention efforts, hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable, crack down on drug trafficking, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids, including fentanyl.
WHAT GOVERNOR NEWSOM SAID: “Over 150 people die every day in our nation from overdoses and poisonings related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Enough. With this Master Plan, California is doubling down to combat this crisis and save lives. Our comprehensive approach will expand enforcement efforts to crack down on transnational criminal organizations trafficking this poison into our communities — while prioritizing harm reduction strategies to reduce overdoses and compassionately help those struggling with substance use and addiction.” View the Master Plan
On December 29, 2022, with the signing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (the Act), Congress eliminated the “DATA-Waiver Program.”
All DEA registrants should be aware of the following:
A DATA-Waiver registration is no longer required to treat patients with buprenorphine for opioid use disorder.
Going forward, all prescriptions for buprenorphine only require a standard DEA registration number. The previously used DATA-Waiver registration numbers are no longer…
After almost twenty years of intense medication specific government regulation buprenorphine is now just like other schedule III medications. The era of limited numbers of treatment slots that started at 30 patients per provider who had completed 8 hours of specific training, requirements to maintain lists of patients who received prescriptions and even in person visits by DEA agents to a large…
The CSAM News was recently published! Featured articles include Conference Photos, Like Minded Docs, President’s Message, CSAM 50th Anniversary Bash & More!
SB 57 (Wiener) – Overdose Prevention Program Passed by the California Senate
CSAM Sponsored Legislation Heads to the Governor for Signature
SACRAMENTO – The California Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM) is pleased to announce that SB 57 (Wiener) was passed by the California Senate on August 1, and now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom for his consideration. The Governor has until the end of September to sign or veto the bills passed by the state Legislature at the end of this 2021/2022 legislative session.
SB 57, sponsored by CSAM and authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), is life-saving legislation that would allow the City and County of San Francisco, the City and County of Los Angeles, and the City of Oakland the discretion to authorize overdose prevention programs where adults may use controlled substances under the supervision of staff trained to prevent and treat overdose, prevent HIV and hepatitis infection, and facilitate entry into drug treatment and other services.
“The California Society of Addiction Medicine, which represents physicians who care for substance use disorders, is pleased that the California Senate has passed SB 57. Our organization is a co-sponsor of SB 57, and we believe this bill will save lives here in California,” said Randolph Holmes, MD, FAAFP, DFASAM, Chair of Public Policy for CSAM. “We urge Governor Newsom to sign this bill into law as quickly as possible so we can move forward with these necessary services for our community.”
Overdose prevention programs (OPPs) — also known as supervised consumption services (SCS) — such as those that could be established under this bill, provide a sanctioned, safe space for people to consume pre-obtained drugs in controlled settings under the supervision of trained staff. These staff have access to sterile consumption equipment and tools to check participants’ drug supply for the presence of fentanyl. Participants can also receive health care, counseling, and referrals to health and social services, including drug treatment.
“If Governor Newsom signs this bill into law, he will not only save uncounted lives from unnecessary death but will also create a pathway into treatment for thousands of Californians for whom there is currently little hope of recovery,” said David Kan, MD, DFASAM, Past President of CSAM.
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The mission of CSAM is to advance the ethical and compassionate treatment of addiction through physician-led education of health professionals, patients, and the public. The Society promotes practice, research, prevention, and implementation of evidence-based treatment and sound drug policy. We advocate for our patients, their families, and other support systems at all stages of care.
