CSAM Admin – Page 3

Prepare for Important ACTION on Tobacco Use Addiction

Mon, Jun 07, 2021

Spring 2021

By Cathy McDonald, MD

Consider using ICOVIDQUIT.com to encourage those with TUD to quit

ASAM president-elect Brian Hurley, MD has renewed the commitment to “standardizing the delivery of individual addiction care, particularly including smoking cessation, and…adequate health insurance coverage for individuals with substance use disorders, particularly tobacco use disorders.” He was speaking at a press conference that reported a 27% drop in calls to state tobacco quit lines during COVID-19. The conference announced a new resource to help individuals with behavioral health conditions to quit smoking, which was developed under the leadership of the UCSF based Smoking Cessation Leadership Center. The site, Icovidquit.com features four diverse individuals with lived experience of behavioral health conditions who quit smoking. The site offers downloadable posters/videos for your office or for posting on social media.

Inform others that a YES VOTE is a vote for a flavored tobacco/menthol BAN on upcoming Tobacco Industry Sparked referendum

Prepare to inform others about the need for ACTION on SB796 (Hill), the menthol and flavored tobacco ban which CSAM supported and Governor Newsom signed. Because the ban on flavored products is being held up by a tobacco industry sponsored referendum, it will be important to inform patients, colleagues, friends and others that THEY MUST VOTE YES on the referendum in order to enact the ban that has been delayed, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and recruitment of thousands of teens to smoking and vaping. This referendum will likely appear on the ballot in November 2021 with the recall election for Governor Newsom although the exact date has yet to be announced. A menthol ban will begin to address the years of targeting African Americans to buy menthol. You can begin to educate folks by posting something like this on your website or social media:

“Menthol cigarettes are killing Black people, and the @NYTimes just wrote all about it. Californians have the chance to finally end Big Tobacco’s dangerous scheme of hooking our kids on nicotine with candy flavors by voting YES to #ProtectCAKids
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/health/methol-smoking-ban.html”

The referendum does not affect the ability of local communities to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products and menthol which over 100 communities in California have done either partially or completely. See list here: https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0398.pdf

Let colleagues know Addressing Tobacco Use in Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Facilities likely to pass the legislature soon and be required

Last but not least CSAM is co-sponsor of AB541 (Berman) which passed by consent in the CA Assembly Health Committee. Despite a smoking rate of 11% in CA, SUD programs in California ranked 41st of 50 states in asking about tobacco use and 32nd in providing tobacco treatment counseling according to an MMWR report. AB541, if passed, requires substance use disorder facilities to assess clients for tobacco use, inform patients how continued tobacco use can affect their recovery, and offer treatment or referral for treatment of tobacco use disorders. Assemblyman Berman’s bill also requires incorporating data on tobacco use amongst SUD clients into the existing SUD database system which will help the state track the magnitude of this issue currently estimated at an incidence of 70% of patients in SUD treatment are tobacco dependent.

To support tobacco related advocacy for CSAM contact Cathy McDonald, Dr.CathyMcDonald@gmail.com or Chwen-Yuen Angie Chen, MD, csameditor@yahoo.com.

CSAM Legislative Update

Mon, Jun 07, 2021

Spring 2021

By: Randolph Holmes, MD and Robert Harris, CSAM Public Policy Advisor

The Legislature in Sacramento is slowly moving out of COVID-19 restrictions and getting on with the work of government. There have been limitations placed on the number of bills a Member from one house can carry over to the other side so some of CSAM’s bills have been moved to the 2022 calendar. Here are some important bills CSAM is sponsoring for 2021:

CSAM is supporting an appropriation of $40 million to continue a pilot program started in 2019 to grant hospitals $100K for the purpose of hiring behavioral health counselors and peer navigators in ED’s. These people help patients with addiction and behavioral health needs start treatment in the ED and continue it after leaving the hospital. This is included in the budget proposal from the Senate and the Assembly.
SB 57 (Wiener) this is the bill that will allow pilots for Overdose Prevention Sites (formerly known as Safe Injection Sites) to be started in San Francisco City and County, the City of Oakland, and the County of Los Angeles. It has passed out of the Senate and we anticipate it passing the Assembly. We will need a campaign to encourage Newsom to sign.
SB 110 (Wiener) this is a bill that would allow Contingency Management to be used at a treatment modality in publicly funded treatment programs. It is an evidence-based treatment for stimulant use disorders, but federal regulations prohibit its use with federal funds (Medi-Cal). It is currently out of the Senate and in the Assembly. We will need help from our friends in Washington (ASAM and others) to change federal rules.
AB 541 (Berman) originally required SUD treatment centers collect data on client smoking in addition to assessing and offering treatment for tobacco use disorder. It has passed unanimously in the Assembly and is now in the Senate. Unfortunately, the data collection requirement was removed in the appropriations committee. However, the bill still requires programs to do the assessment and offer treatment. Programs must demonstrate compliance with those provisions during their relicensing reviews.
Newsom has proposed $3.5 billion for youth behavioral health, this would include substance use treatment as well.

FDA Commits to Evidence-Based Actions Aimed at Saving Lives and Preventing Future Generations of Smokers

Fri, Apr 30, 2021

FDA NEWS RELEASE:
April 29, 2021

FDA Commits to Evidence-Based Actions Aimed at Saving Lives and Preventing Future Generations of Smokers

Efforts to ban menthol cigarettes, ban flavored cigars build on previous flavor ban and mark significant steps to reduce addiction and youth experimentation, improve quitting, and address health disparities

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it is committing to advancing two tobacco product standards to significantly reduce disease and death from using combusted tobacco products, the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. The FDA is working toward issuing proposed…

Read the Full Article…

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CSAM Newsletter – Vol. 45 Issue #2 (Winter 2020)

Thu, Dec 31, 2020

The Newest Issue of the CSAM Newsletter is available. If you haven’t seen it yet, CLICK HERE to read it!

This issue features the President’s message by CSAM President, Anthony Albanese; 2020 Public Policy Report; and Updates from the Education Committee!

The ABPM & ASAM Announce a Four-Year Extension of the Practice Pathway for Addiction Medicine

Wed, Dec 09, 2020

Chicago, IL, November 30, 2020: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) jointly announced today the American Board of Medical Specialties’ (ABMS) approval of a four-year extension of the practice…

Click Here to Read the entire article.

DEA Issues Interim Final Rule Clarifying MAT Dispensing

Fri, Nov 06, 2020

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued an Interim Final Rule to clarify sections of the 2018 SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. The provisions in the Rule seek to further expand providers’ abilities to prescribe medication assisted treatment (MAT) to individuals suffering from opioid use disorders.

Key items addressed in the Rule include:

Providers can prescribe MAT for up to 100 patients immediately, if the provider holds credentialing in addiction medicine or provides MAT using covered medications in a qualified practice setting. This updates prior rules which mandated a waivered provider could only treat up to 30 patients in their first year of the waiver before applying to treat up to 100 patients.
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants had previously been granted the ability to be waivered to prescribe MAT on a temporary basis. The Interim Final Rule made this provision permanent.
The definition of a “qualifying provider” eligible to prescribe MAT was expanded to include clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse midwives. These providers are eligible to prescribe MAT on a temporary basis, through October 1, 2023. Waivered providers are eligible to treat up to 30 patients.
A physician is eligible to receive a waiver to prescribe MAT if the physician recently graduated from a medical school that included at least 8 hours of training on treating and managing opioid-dependent patients.This shifts new waivers from post-residency continuing medical education to medical school or residency training.
Pharmacies can permanently provide medications for maintenance or detoxification treatment to providers’ registered locations for use in treatment. Pharmacies previously were only allowed to deliver medications to the ultimate user or research subject.

Please send feedback on the Interim Final Rule to Chris Regal (cregal@ahip.org) by December 3. We will circulate draft comments prior to the December 10 Opioid Addiction Prevention and Treatment Work Group meeting.

We look forward to your feedback. Please be in touch with questions. Thank you.

Article provided by AHIP.

Press Release: Gov. Newsom, Lt. Gov. Kounalakis To California: Beware Big Tobacco’s Lies and Deception to Overturn Landmark Law to Protect Kids

Tue, Oct 13, 2020

Click Here to read the Press Release.

CSAM Newsletter Winter 2019 Issue

Mon, Oct 21, 2019

Winter 2019 CSAM Newsletter

An Interview with CSAM’s New President Dr. Anthony Albanese – Pgs. 1-2; 7
Low Barrier Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder: A Feasible Strategy to Save Lives and Livelihoods – Pgs. 3; 11
CSAM Addiction Medicine Review Course and Board Exam Preparation Track 2019 – Pgs. 4-5
Timmen Cermak, MD Receives Vernelle Fox Award – Pg. 6
CSAM’s Membership Now Tops 700! – Pg. 6
CSAM Community Service Award Goes to David Lisonbee, CEO of Twin Town Treatment Centers – Pg. 7
MERF Provides 54 Scholarships to 2019 Addiction Medicine Review Course in Anaheim – Pgs. 8-9
Highlights of the CSAM Leadership Development Retreat at Asilomar – Pgs. 10-11
CSAM Board of Directors Election Results Announced – Pg. 12
CSAM Executive Director to Retire in 2020 – Pg. 13
Newly Released: Guidelines for Physicians Working in California Opioid Treatment Programs – Pg. 13
Welcome New CSAM Members! – Pg. 14
CSAM Opposes Changes to Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records (42 CFR Part 2) – Pg. 15
CSAM’s Addiction Medicine Review Course is Now Available Online! – Pg. 15
State of the Art in Addiction Medicine Conference | August 26-29, 2020 – Pg. 16

Governor signs two addiction treatment reform measures, vetoes two others

Tue, Oct 15, 2019

This past week Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB-919 (Petrie-Norris) which promises to crack down on financial conflicts-of-interest among rehab operators by limiting how they offer housing and transportation as inducements to treatment. It will require that laboratories that test blood or urine for drugs, or outpatient treatment programs that offer housing to clients, have separate housing contracts specifically stating that payment for housing is the patient’s responsibility and rent should not be indirectly billed to health insurance. The practice has become common in the industry. It also empowers the CA Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to provide enforcement with seven new positions, costing $1.2 million the first year and $1.1 million after that.

The Governor also signed AB-290 (Wood) which attempts to prevent third party payer tactics designed to steer patients into more expensive insurance plans for dialysis and substance use disorder treatment. Basically, it reduces the financial incentive to lure people to California by promising “free” insurance coverage.

SB-445 (Portantino) was vetoed by Governor Newsom with this message: “To the Members of the California State Senate: I am returning Senate Bill 445 without my signature. SB 445 would require the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to establish youth substance use disorder treatment quality standards including certification requirements for programs and professionals, and convene a workgroup to advise the Department on quality standards. Although I support the author’s intent to strengthen substance use disorder treatment services for youth, implementation of this bill requires significant General Fund spending that should be considered through the annual budget process. I encourage the author and stakeholders to engage with DHCS’s recently-formed Behavioral Health Stakeholder Advisory Committee to address concerns regarding youth substance use disorder treatment services. Sincerely, Gavin Newsom”

AB-920 (Petrie-Norris) was also vetoed: “To the Members of the California State Assembly: I am returning Assembly Bill 920 without my signature. This bill would eliminate an existing voluntary outpatient certification program. Beginning January 1, 2021, it would attempt to require an outpatient substance use disorder (SUD) recovery or treatment services facility which is not licensed under existing law, to obtain licensure from the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to provide SUD services. The bill attempts to do this by replacing references to program certification in existing Health and Safety Code references to program licensure. I am supportive of the Legislature’s intent to license all SUD recovery and treatment services. However, developing a new licensing schema is a significant undertaking, and would require a significant departure from the bill as enrolled. This bill would need to be revised to provide adequate statutory authority for DHCS to effectively monitor and ensure compliance with outpatient licensure requirements. In addition, establishing the associated administrative oversight is not without significant cost. After reviewing this bill, it is clear that a substantial amount of work is still needed to develop a program that my administration can implement. As such, I recommend the Legislature and sponsors of this bill work closely with DHCS on a more robust proposal for my consideration. Costs for implementation of such a bill would need to be considered in the budget process. Sincerely, Gavin Newsom”

CSAM is Advancing the Treatment of Addiction

Sat, Sep 28, 2019

The California Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM) is the largest state chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) comprised of physicians and other healthcare professionals who are dedicated to improving the treatment of substance use disorders. With a growing membership of over 700 members, CSAM offers impactful education, effective advocacy, and leadership in influential state and national roles.