Newsletter 0 f The American Society' of Addictionr, Medicine ' .- ' ; New President Says ASAM Has ·-~ ~ "Talent, Energy, Experience" to Mee1t Chal1enges G. Douglas Talbott, M.D. , FASAM I assume the Presidency of ASAM with hu­ AMA's Physicians Health Committee. I sub­ The Caduceus Foundation also has convened mility, excitement and a sense of exultation. sequently approached Drs. Gitlow and a number of expert meetings on caffeine, Seixas and the basis of the first Kroc Ranch chaired by Dr. Max Schneider. The findings To follow Dr. David Smith's Presidency is unity meeting was established. from these sessionii.were reported at the 1993 by definition a humbling experience. It is Medical-Scientific Conference in a sympo­ also humbling to be elected President of sium on the role of caffeine in addiction ASAM, for this is truly a great and unique treatment. organization. I exult in the richness of this history, and in Nor can I assume the presidency of this or­ the current accomplishments represented by ganization without exultation. I have been the ASAM Patient Placement Criteria un­ with ASAM from the birth of the Southeast­ der the leadership of Dr. David Mee-Lee and ern addiction movement, the California the efforts on tobacco, led by Dr. John Slade. movement, and the New York movement. The New York programs were much older Goals for the Future than the California and Georgia programs, As we look toward the future, I want to but I learned of the New York program dedicate my presidency to the establish­ through the work of Drs. Frank Seixas, ment of residencies in addiction medicine Sheila Blume, Stan Gitlow, and through my in a number of university medical centers. long-time fliend Max Weisman. At the Kroc With such residencies funded and imple­ Ranch unity meeting, we wrestled with no­ mented, specialization with certificates of menclature-! remember stumbling over the added qualifications can be effectively acronym "AMSAODD." I also rememb<tr pursued. Under the experienced and able visiting Manny Steindler at the American leadership of Dr. Sidney Schnoll, the aca­ Medical Association and his suggestion that G. Douglas Talbott, M.D. demic structure of such multiuniversity I call a very talented and professional woman ASAM President, 1997-1999 programs are being developed. As a next in California, Gail J ara. Gail guided me into step, I am taking responsibility for the meetings with Jess Bromley, David Smith, The Caduceus Foundation once again has CURAM (Consortium of University Resi­ Tony Radcliffe, and Max Schneider. Shortly, agreed to supportASAM in a workshop ex­ dencies in Addiction Medicine) project. the California and Georgia programs joined ploring pain management. (Some ASAM We have completed preliminary discus- together to form the Amelican Academy of members may not be aware that it was the Addictionology at the second meeting of the Caduceus Foundation, supported by the Continued on page 7 Kroc Foundation, that organized the first I N S I D E Kroc Ranch meeting.) Other Caduceus Foundation meetings have been staged at the • EVP's Report I page 2 Carter Center in Atlanta, as well as in Chi­ • Managed Care News I page 3 cago and in Washington, D.C., to study, de­ • Money for Treatment I page 5 fine and implement the Physicians Health • Med-Sci Report I page 6 Habit Program. This program explored and • Alcohol Alert I page 9 set the standards for zero to minimal blood • Members-in-Training I page 13 alcohol levels for physicians engaged in pa­ • Chapter Update I page 14 tient care. Subsequently, theAMA accepted • AMA Delegation Report I page 16 the standards. As a result, we finally have • Member News I page 18 standards regarding the, intake of alcoholic President Clinton greets ASAM • Advertising I page 19 beverages while physidarts care fot patients, President G. Douglas Talbott, M.D. • Conference Calendar I page 20 even over the telephone. as EVP Dr. James Callahan looks on. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT'S REPORT REVIEWING ASAM'S cASAM GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS American Society Dr. James F. Callahan of Few individuals in medicine have had the in defining what it means to practice addic­ opportunity to influence the development of tion medicine; third, achievements in the Addiction Medicine the profession, to actually define how medi­ integration of that basic and clinical science cine is practiced. Each ASAM member has into medical education and into the health 4601 North Park Avenue precisely that opportunity through your pur­ . care system. Upper Arcade, Suite 101 suit of AS AM's mission, which is unique in Chevy Chase, MD 20815 the history of medicine. That mission is: 0 DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SCIENCE: In recent years, we have demonstrated'tmd described ASAM is a specialty society of 0 To establish the prevention and treatment what characterizes addiction, through both physicians concerned about of addictive disorders as a basic health animal and human studies, as Dr. Ting-Kai alcoholism and other addictions and benefit (parity), and Li so clearly described in his lecture on ani­ who care for persons affected by 0 To establish the specialty of addiction mal models and alcoholism, and as Dr. these illnesses. medicine. Enoch Gordis and his colleagues presented ASAM News in their symposium on the Genetics of Al­ is an official publication of the WhileASAM's mission is historic, we are coholism during the ASAM Medical-Scien­ American Society of Addiction Medicine, in a period in the history of medicine in tific Conference. Th recent years, we have and is published six times a year. Please which treatment for all illnesses, includ­ shown how addictive substances act on the direct all editmial and advertising ing addictive disorders, is being rationed. reward center of the brain, the nucleus inquiries to ASAM News, We also are in a period in which specialty accumbens. We have learned that continued c/o the ASAM office. training is being de-emphasized, and assault of the brain with addictive drugs al­ training of generalists is being given ters brain circuitry and triggers a craving for Officers greater emphasis. All of this is being done more drugs. In short, we have shown that it President with almost total disregard for the conse­ is this biologically driven compulsiveness to G. Douglas Talbott, M.D., FASAM quences of these changes for patient care repeatedly consume the drug, despite physi­ President-Elect and the medical profession. cal or other consequences, that charactetizes Marc Galanter, M.D., FASAM addictive disorders. One of AS AM's proud­ Immediate Past President We live in harsh and brutal times, times that est 1996 achievements in linking the science David E. Smith, M.D., FASAM challenge the truth and validity of our mis­ and practice of addiction medicine was its Secretary sion and of our resolve to pursue our mis­ State-of-the-Alt Course in Addiction Medi­ Andrea G. Barthwell, M.D. sion. And so it is appropriate for us to ask: cine, chaired by Drs. Allan Graham and Treasurer Is ASAM's mission true? Is its attainment Terry Schultz. James W. Smith, M.D., FASAM feasible in bad times such as the present, as well as in the good? Is our resolve to pursue 0 ADVANCES IN DEFINING THE PRACTICE: The Chair, Publications Committee our mission firm? The answer to all these practice of addiction medicine has been a Elizabeth F. Howell, M.D. questions is "Yes." The evidence shows that reality since physicians first recognized in­ our accomplishments and our ability to en­ toxication and its consequences and tried to Newsletter Review Board vision goals for advancing even further to­ intervene and treat. But it is only in the past LeClair Bissell, M.D. ward attainment of our mission. few years that we have formally codified Sheila B. Blume, M.D., FASAM what constitutes the body of clinical knowl­ Max A. Schneider, M.D., FASAM Marvin Seppala, M.D. Accomplishments edge that we call addiction medicine. The Let us review our accomplishments in sev­ most complete description of the science and Executive Vice President/CEO eral areas: first, achievements in the science James F. Callahan, D.P.A. of addiction medicine; second, achievements Continued on next page Founding Editor, 1985-1995 Lucy Barry Robe ASAM'S MISSION , Editor At its April 1997 meeting in San Diego, the ASAM Board of Directors Bonnie B. Wilford reaffirmed the following mission statement for the Society: Subscriptions The mission of the American Society of Addiction Medicine is to: Free to ASAM members; $25 a year (6 issues) to non-members. Order from the ASAM office at 0 establish medical education in prevention and treatment of addictive disorders as an 301/656-3920, or integral part of medical school, graduate and continuing medical education, and Fax 301/656-3815. E-mail: asamoffice@ asam.org 0 establish preventi~ and treatment of addictive disorders as a basic health benefit http://www.asam.org for all who suffer froln addictive disorders (parity). ASAMNews 2 May I June 1997 EVP Report- Continued from previous page MANAGED CARE NEWS practice of addiction medicine is presented in Principles ofAddic­ JOINT STATEMENT tion Medicine, edited by Drs. Norman Miller and Martin Doot. APPROVED BY ASAM, AMBHA Further definition of the practice of addiction medicine is contained in the ASAM Practice Guidelines. Drs. Kasser Chris Kasser, Michael ASAM and the American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Asso­ Mayo-Smith, and the members of the Practice Guidelines Committee ciation (AMBHA) have developed the following joint statement, recently were infmmed that ASAM's practice guideline on Pharma­ which has been approved by the AMBHA membership and the cologic Management of Alcohol Withdrawal has been accepted for ASAM Board of Directors.