ASAM Practice Pearls

ASAM Education
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Season 1 | Season 2 Join ASAM Practice Pearls for in-depth discussions on addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery. Geared toward healthcare professionals and individuals seeking knowledge, this series explores the latest evidence-based approaches to addiction medicine. Listen to interviews with leading experts as they delve into critical topics and share practical tools you can use to improve patient care and promote public health.

  1. 6D AGO

    Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Addiction Medicine

    EP 01 🎙 Special Series: ASAM's 57th Annual Conference This episode is part of a special three-part series spotlighting key sessions from ASAM’s 57th Annual Conference.   In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar is joined by Drs. Sara Polley and Daniel Kaufman to explore highlights from their Annual Conference session, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Addiction Medicine. Together, they discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping addiction medicine, including the many ways AI is already being used in clinical care. The conversation focuses on informed consent, maintaining clinical judgment, and ethical considerations. ----more---- Looking for this episode's transcript? Download it HERE Get credit for listening! Claim your 0.5 CEs HERE Have an idea for a future episode? Share it with us at education@asam.org. Host Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, MD, MPH, FAAFP, FACPM, DFASAM Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar is a family medicine, preventive medicine/public health, and addiction medicine physician. Dr. Salisbury-Afshar's work focuses on expanding access to evidence-based addiction treatment and harm reduction services. She has over 14 years of experience practicing in medically underserved settings. Dr. Salisbury-Afshar lectures nationally on addiction medicine topics, including the treatment of opioid use disorder, harm reduction, the intersection of addiction and the criminal legal system, and public health approaches to reduce overdose mortality. Expert Sara Polley, MD, FAPA, FASAM Dr. Polley is a triple board-certified psychiatrist in adult, child, and adolescent psychiatry and addiction medicine. She provides integrated psychiatric care for youth and families at Vantage Mental Health, a nonprofit clinic serving both Minnesota and Wisconsin. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Polley is a national consultant, speaker, and educator with the University of Minnesota Medical School. She serves on Minnesota’s Cannabis Advisory Council and holds committee appointments with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). Dr. Polley is a passionate advocate for outpatient trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and family-centered co-occurring care, drawing on both her clinical experience and personal story as the child of a parent lost to addiction.  Expert Daniel Kaufmann, PhD, LPC, LMHC Dr. Kaufmann is an Associate Professor at Grand Canyon University as well as the Director of Gaming Services at Kindbridge Behavioral Health. He is the author of The Gamer’s Journey (2024), a book focused on explaining the presence of video games in society as a form of mythological storytelling and how these characters and settings can be used therapeutically for every gamer to complete each phase of the hero’s journey in their own lives. Dr. Kaufmann is currently serving as the co-chair of the APA research task force on video game issues and is working on several nationwide training programs to help mental health professionals understand video games in innovative ways. Dr. Kaufmann's publications cover the areas of video games, personality theory, online education, and counselor development. He offers supervision to an international list of clinicians to help bridge the gap in learning about technological impact on society and specific insights related to effective treatment for clients experiencing games-related issues.  📖 Show Segments 00:05 - Introduction  01:19 - Expert Introduction and Initial Start with AI  04:40 - The Landscape of AI in Addiction Care 06:41 - AI Assists Clinicians Might Not Realize They Are Using 08:13 - AI for Search Tools and Scribes 09:29 - Informed Consent for AI Tools 14:02 - Patient's Reception of AI in Care Conversations 15:41 - AI for Progress Notes and Documentation 19:49 - AI for Patient Advocacy Letters 22:04  - Guidance for Adopting AI Tools 25:35 - Advice for Early-Career Health Care Providers 26:21 - Approaching AI with Curiosity 29:00 - Words of Advice 32:50 - Conclusion and Additional Learning Opportunity  📋 Key Takeaways AI is already embedded throughout addiction care: Clinicians are integrating AI into their daily practice, including ambient scribes, literature search tools, helping write progress notes, billing systems, and EMR-driven risk alerts. Informed consent for AI use requires careful consideration: Clinicians should consider the risk to the patient and the potential impact if the tool were to fail to help determine the appropriate level of AI-informed consent. Consider the risks of the tool failing, the likelihood of catching errors, and whether the patient has the ability to opt out before deciding whether to notify, obtain consent, or determine if consent is even needed. AI scribes can free up significant time: Using ambient scribes can allow clinicians to focus more on the patient and the therapeutic relationship and less on documentation; however, clinicians must still review all AI-generated content carefully, never treating it as a finished, accurate product. AI should support, not replace, clinical judgment: AI can be used as a resource to aid clinical administrative work, but it is not a substitute for diagnosis, treatment planning, or medical decision-making. The clinician remains responsible for all care decisions. Early-career clinicians face a unique risk: Relying on AI before developing foundational clinical skills could lead to long-term competency gaps. Instead, use AI-generated content as a learning tool to develop necessary skills rather than as a shortcut. Data privacy and HIPAA compliance are non-negotiable: Before adopting any AI tool, clinicians must verify where patient data is sent, who has access, and whether it is protected from being fed into wider internet systems. Approach AI with curiosity and keep an open mind: AI isn’t going away. Learn how to work with it to help enhance your clinical practice. Educate yourself and use your own judgment on what may or may not be relevant for your own practice. 🔗 Resources Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Addiction Medicine Annual Conference Session: Available in ASAM eLearning Center starting May 26, 2026 2 in 3 physicians are using health AI-up 78% from 2023 - Henry TA. American Medical Association. February 26, 2025. Accessed April 25, 2026 77% of Americans Embrace AI in Behavioral Health, but Only with Transparency and Strong Safeguards - GlobeNewswire Qualifacts. February 18, 2026. Accessed April 25, 2026 A Scoping Review of AI-Driven Digital Interventions in Mental Health Care: Mapping Applications Across Screening, Support, Monitoring, Prevention, and Clinical Education - Ni Y, Jia F. Healthcare (Basel). 2025;13(10):1205. Published 2025 May 21. doi:10.3390/healthcare13101205 Clinician Experiences With Ambient Scribe Technology to Assist With Documentation Burden and Efficiency - Duggan MJ, Gervase J, Schoenbaum A, et al. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(2):e2460637. Published 2025 Feb 3. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.60637 Commercial Products Using Generative Artificial Intelligence Include Ambient Scribes, Automated Documentation and Scheduling, Revenue Cycle Management, Patient Engagement and Education, and Prior Authorization Platforms - Kunze KN, Bepple J, Bedi A, Ramkumar PN, Pean CA. Arthroscopy. 2025;41(11):4950-4955. doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2025.05.021 Ethical Considerations for Clinical Adoption of Ambient Digital Scribe Technology - Anderson TN, Mohan V, Gold JA. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2026;33(3):770-775. doi:10.1093/jamia/ocaf227 Ethical Obligations to Inform Patients About Use of AI Tools - Mello MM, Char D, Xu SH. JAMA. 2025;334(9):767-770. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.11417 New Doc on the Block: Scoping Review of AI Systems Delivering Motivational Interviewing for Health Behavior Change - Karve Z, Calpey J, Machado C, Knecht M, Mejia MC. J Med Internet Res. 2025;27:e78417. Published 2025 Sep 16. doi:10.2196/78417 Patient Attitudes Toward Ambient Artificial Intelligence Scribes in Clinical Care: Insights From a Cross-Sectional Study - Chandrasekaran R, Moustakas E. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2026;33(2):263-272. doi:10.1093/jamia/ocaf218 Role of the States in the Future of AI Regulation - Mello MM, Childs PB, Roberts JL. JAMA Health Forum. 2025;6(9):e255020. Published 2025 Sep 5. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.5020 Teen and Young Adult Perspectives on Generative AI: Patterns of Use, Excitements, and Concerns - Hopelab, Common Sense Media, Center for Digital Thriving at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Published 2024. Accessed February 2026 📢 Join the Discussion Share your thoughts using #ASAMPracticePearls — we’d love to hear from you! In support of improving patient care, the American Society of Addiction Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    34 min

  2. APR 20

    Navigating Cannabis and Cannabinoid Use in Today’s Clinical Practice

    In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Drs. Stephen Taylor and Takeo Toyoshima address the misconception that cannabis is not addictive. They discuss how clinicians can better understand the cannabis products their patients are using, navigate the changing legal landscape, and assess for cannabis use disorder using the “Three Cs” framework. The conversation highlights treatment strategies like motivational interviewing and harm reduction, managing cannabis withdrawal, the risk of psychosis from high-potency products, and emerging pharmacotherapy options. Throughout the episode, they offer practical strategies for keeping patients engaged in care.   ----more---- Looking for this episode's transcript? Download it HERE Get credit for listening! Claim your 0.5 CEs HERE Have an idea for a future episode? Share it with us at education@asam.org. Host Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states. Expert Takeo Toyoshima, MD Dr. Takeo Toyoshima is the interim program director for the UCSF Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship. He completed medical school at UCLA, then psychiatry residency, addiction psychiatry fellowship, and forensic psychiatry fellowship at UCSF. His main clinical duties are at the San Francisco VA Health Care System, both in the Addiction Recovery Treatment Services' outpatient and intensive outpatient programs and in the Veterans Justice Outreach Clinic, which treats patients who are criminal justice-involved. In these settings, Dr. Toyoshima supervises UCSF medical students, psychiatry residents, addiction psychiatry fellows, and forensic psychiatry fellows, in addition to other allied health profession trainees. He concurrently serves as the VA site director for the UCSF Psychiatry and the Law Program. Outside of UCSF, Dr. Toyoshima also works in clinical and forensic private practice and serves in various roles in organized medicine (American Psychiatric Association, Northern California Psychiatric Society, California Society of Addiction Medicine, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, etc.). His clinical interests are in the intersection of psychiatry, addiction, and forensic matters.  📖 Show Segments 00:05 - Introduction  01:13 - How to Approach the Conversation with Patients  03:51 - Clarifying Terms and Product Use with Patients 05:52 - Legal and Regional Differences 08:45 - Addressing Patient’s Perceived Pros and Cons of Cannabis 11:19 - Assessing for Cannabis Use Disorder 13:53 - What if a Patient Doesn’t Want to Stop? 15:49 - Approaching Drug Testing with Patients 17:43 - Recommended Treatment Options 20:02  - Cannabis Withdrawal Symptoms 22:08 - Considerations for Adolescents 23:21 - The Risk of Psychosis 24:46 - Harm Reduction 27:22 - Signs of Cannabis Toxicity  31:46 - Key Takeaways 33:20 - Conclusion and Additional Learning Opportunity  📋 Key Takeaways Cannabis addiction is real and common: Around 10% of people who start using become addicted, and around 30% of current users meet criteria for cannabis use disorder (CUD).  Ask about products, routes, and potency: Flower, concentrates, edibles, and vapes carry very different risk profiles. Higher potency can lead to faster tolerance and withdrawal.   Work collaboratively with your patients: Let patients educate you about their use, be curious, and use motivational interviewing techniques in conversation.  Use the three Cs to assess CUD: Screen for issues with Control, Consequences, and Cravings, then map findings to the DSM-5 criteria together with the patient.  Recognize cannabis withdrawal: Withdrawal symptoms affect 20–50% of daily users and can include both psychiatric and physical symptoms, such as appetite changes, nausea and vomiting, mild tremors, temperature dysregulation, irritability, anxiety, and mood changes. Sometimes, what patients attribute to anxiety or poor appetite may actually be withdrawal.  Psychosis is a serious risk: Studies show around a 40% conversion to a schizophrenia diagnosis after a cannabis-induced psychotic episode, especially with high-potency products.  No FDA-approved medications exist: Gabapentin and N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) are off-label pharmacotherapy options that show evidence for treating CUD, but treating co-occurring psychiatric disorders is equally important.  Harm reduction is a valid goal: Reducing potency, spacing out use, switching routes, and building in breaks are practical steps when a patient isn't ready for abstinence.  Keep patients coming back: The therapeutic relationship is the most powerful tool, so focus on patient goals and follow-up.   Know your legal landscape and testing limitations: Laws vary by state. Standard urine screens will not detect synthetic cannabinoids, and THC metabolites can persist for weeks.  🔗 Resources ASAM’s 57th Annual Conference: Register HERE Focus Session: High Risk at Every Stage: Cannabis Exposure During Critical Periods of Development    ASAM 2025 Review Course: Psychiatric Co-morbidities: Complexities of Diagnosis and Care: Register HERE   ASAM 56th Annual Conference:  Cannabinoids and Pregnancy: ASAM Members, Patients and the Public - A Vital Discourse/Debate: Register HERE  Anyone Can Treat!: Master Youth Cannabis Use Treatment for Your Practice Setting: Register HERE  A Simple Guide to Pot, THC and How Much is Too Much: Ramos Barreda A, De Leon K, Urmas S. Los Angeles Times. April 20, 2018. Accessed March 24, 2026.   Cannabis/Marijuana Use Disorder: Yale Medicine. July 24, 2024. Accessed March 30, 2026.   Rates and Predictors of Conversion to Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder Following Substance-Induced Psychosis: Starzer MSK, Nordentoft M, Hjorthøj C. Am J Psychiatry. 2018;175(4):343-350. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17020223 The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Transition From Substance-Induced Psychosis to Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder or Bipolar Disorder: Rognli EB, Heiberg IH, Jacobsen BK, Høye A, Bramness JG. Am J Psychiatry. 2023;180(6):437-444. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.22010076 Understanding Your Risk for Cannabis Use Disorder: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. December 5, 2024. Accessed March 30, 2026.  📢 Join the Discussion Share your thoughts using #ASAMPracticePearls — we’d love to hear from you! In support of improving patient care, the American Society of Addiction Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    34 min

  3. APR 6

    Kratom and 7-OH: What Clinicians Need to Know

    In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Dr. Stephen Taylor hosts researchers Dr. Kirsten Smith and Katie Hill to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). They examine kratom’s complex pharmacology, review current research on kratom and 7-OH, discuss kratom’s addiction potential, withdrawal patterns, and the challenges of kratom in the clinical setting. The episode provides listeners with a basic understanding of kratom and 7-OH products, helping clinicians better understand where to begin when treating patients who use kratom and kratom-derived products. ----more---- Looking for this episode's transcript? Download it HERE Get credit for listening! Claim your 0.5 CEs HERE Have an idea for a future episode? Share it with us at education@asam.org. Host Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states. Expert Kirsten Smith, PhD, LMSW   Dr. Kirsten Smith is a leading expert on kratom, with over 90 peer-reviewed publications on kratom and related topics like kava and tianeptine. From 2023-2025, she was an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry. She joined Hopkins after earning her Master’s from the University of Kentucky, PhD from the University of Louisville, and completing a 4-year postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program (NIDA IRP). At NIDA IRP, she completed her K99-funded project that involved a national ecological momentary assessment of daily kratom use and a controlled drug administration sub-study that investigated the acute effects of commercial kratom products. Her R00-funded study at Johns Hopkins examined kratom pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of kratom and assessed spontaneous kratom withdrawal among chronic consumers. She also received an R01 to study the safety, tolerability, and abuse potential of kratom in healthy adults, which is ongoing. She has conducted surveys and qualitative research on kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). Dr. Smith is currently transitioning from academia to clinical practice but consults on kratom regularly and welcomes opportunities for collaboration. Disclosure: There are no relevant financial relationships.  Expert Katherine Hill, MPH   Katherine (Katie) Hill is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health. Her research interests include substance use and harm reduction. Her doctoral research employs mixed methods to evaluate the impact of emerging substances, such as xylazine and kratom, on people who use drugs.  Disclosure: There are no relevant financial relationships.  📖 Show Segments 00:05 - Introduction  01:49 - Defining Kratom  04:42 - Consumers of Kratom 05:48 - Is Kratom an Opioid 07:29 - Differences Between Kratom and 7-OH 11:39 - Addiction Potential 16:50 - Toxicity, Acute Intoxication, and Toxidrome 18:55 - 7-OH Withdrawal and Overdose 24:16 -  Patient History and Assessment  26:25 - Practice Pearls for Clinicians 30:48 - Patient Motivations and Harm Reduction 33:03 - Conclusion and Additional Learning Opportunity  📋 Key Takeaways “Kratom” is often used as a broad term for kratom-derived products: Kratom can refer to powdered leaves, capsules, teas, concentrated extracts, or semi-synthetic 7-OH products, many of which may also contain caffeine, kava, CBD, or other additives. When a patient says they use "kratom," it provides little clinical clarity. Clinicians need to ask which product, form, and brand the patient is using to better understand their usage patterns.  Understand the product your patient is using: Product composition, potency, and co-ingredients of kratom are variable. Clinicians need to gather information on formulation, dosing, frequency, route, motivations, and co-use to gain a clear history. Self-report gives far more insight than current toxicology assays.   Kratom’s pharmacology is complex: Kratom can produce pain relief via the serotonin and opioid system. Effects from kratom also include increases in energy and mood elevation. Some kratom alkaloids and metabolites have atypical mu-opioid receptor activity as well as non-opioid activity, making kratom’s pharmacology complex. Kratom can lead to physical dependence symptoms when consumed regularly.  7-OH is different from natural kratom: 7-hydroxymitragynine is found only in trace amounts in kratom leaves, but exists in much higher levels in commercial semi-synthetic products. These formulations behave differently and have low bioavailability, making their clinical effects distinct.  Mild to moderate dependence and withdrawal are possible: Daily, repeated kratom use commonly leads to tolerance and withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, fatigue, and cravings. Severe withdrawal appears uncommon in current data, though more evidence is needed, especially for 7-OH products.   People can develop a kratom use disorder: About 25% of people using kratom meet criteria for kratom use disorder based on modified DSM-5 Criteria, though most presentations appear to be mild to moderate.  Standard drug testing has limitations: Urine assays detect mitragynine, but a positive result can't distinguish between kratom leaf products and 7-OH products containing residual mitragynine. 7-OH is unstable in blood and rapidly metabolized, making detection challenging. Rely on self-report and consider asking patients to bring in their products for better clarity.  Understand motivations for use: Many people who use kratom and 7-OH are not seeking intoxication. They're trying to manage pain or mood, function at work, self-treat withdrawal, etc. Treatment planning should account for these functional goals and incorporate motivational interviewing and shared decision-making. Help is needed to move the field forward: Researchers are behind front-line clinicians in understanding these substances. There is still a lot that is unknown about kratom and kratom-derived products. Clinicians are encouraged to publish case reports, develop internal protocols, describe withdrawal symptoms, and refine assessments to better guide emerging best practices.  🔗 Resources ASAM’s 57th Annual Conference - Register HERE General Session: Understanding the Evolving Drug Landscape: From Epidemiology to Clinical Practice  Focus Session: Beyond Kratom: Novel Products Containing 7-OH, Pseudo, MGM, and Kava  Chapter 5: Kratom-related Physical Dependence and Addiction - Smith KE, Singh D, Grundmann O. In: Kratom History, Science and Therapeutic Potential. Academic Press; 2026:59-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-27412-1.00005-5   Clinically Characterizing Adults Who Use Kava or Kratom: Substance Use Disorder Assessment Challenges for Increasingly Popular Botanical Products - Hill K, Boyer EW, Smith KE. Drug Alcohol Depend Rep. 2025;17:100394. Published 2025 Nov 9. doi:10.1016/j.dadr.2025.100394  Controversies in Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Kratom Use Disorder - Smith KE, Epstein DH, Weiss ST. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2024 Sep;26(9):487-496. doi: 10.1007/s11920-024-01524-1. Epub 2024 Aug 13. PMID: 39134892; PMCID: PMC11344726 The Rise of Novel, Semi-synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine Products - Smith KE, Boyer EW, Grundmann O, McCurdy CR, Sharma A. Addiction. 2024;120(2):387-388. doi:10.1111/add.16728   National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Kratom - Learn more about kratom, ongoing research, and additional resources.   📢 Join the Discussion Share your thoughts using #ASAMPracticePearls — we’d love to hear from you! In support of improving patient care, the American Society of Addiction Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    35 min

  4. MAR 23

    Social Determinants of Health: Making an Impact in Addiction Care

    In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Drs. Stephen Taylor and Sharon Stancliff explore the role of social determinants of health (SDoH) in addiction care. They discuss the biopsychosocial model of addiction and emphasize the importance of understanding social factors such as housing, transportation, and economic stability when providing effective care. They highlight the need for clinicians to engage with patients in their environments, advocate for policy changes, and address racial disparities in addiction treatment, offering practical strategies clinicians can use to support patients facing social challenges.   ----more---- Looking for this episode's transcript? Download it HERE Get credit for listening! Claim your 0.5 CEs HERE Have an idea for a future episode? Share it with us at education@asam.org. Host Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states. Expert Sharon Stancliff, MD   Dr. Stancliff is Associate Medical Director for Harm Reduction in Health Care at the AIDS Institute, NYSDOH and sees patients at a shelter in New York City. Dr. Stancliff has been working with people who use drugs since 1990, including the provision of primary care, drug treatment, HIV care, and syringe access. She is currently focused on opioid overdose prevention through expanding access to naloxone and expanding access to buprenorphine in primary care and in less traditional settings, such as syringe exchange programs. Dr. Stancliff graduated from the School of Medicine at the University of California at Davis, did her Family Practice residency at the University of Arizona, and completed the AIDS Institute-sponsored Nicolas Rango HIV Clinical Scholars Program at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. She is board-certified in Family Medicine and in Addiction Medicine. She served on the Public Policy Committee of ASAM.  📖 Show Segments 00:05 - Introduction  02:29 - The Role of SDoH in Addiction  06:00 - Prioritizing Competing Social Needs 08:57 - The Clinician’s Role in Addressing SDoH 12:11 - Making Your Voice Heard 14:09 - The Impact of Race on Addiction Treatment 16:38 - Tailoring Treatment to Social Context 19:31 - Navigating Social Networks and Environmental Challenges 22:30 - Key Takeaways 24:50 - Conclusion and Additional Learning Opportunity  📋 Key Takeaways View addiction through a biopsychosocial lens: Addiction involves complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual's life experiences. It doesn’t develop solely from biological factors, making it essential to address SDoH during treatment.  Prioritize patients’ social needs: Housing instability, poverty, transportation access, food insecurity, and other environmental factors significantly impact a patient’s ability to engage in treatment and are often overlooked.  Focus on safety, stability, and patient goals: Abstinence-only approaches are outdated. Treatment should prioritize whether patients are safer, more stable, and more engaged in care, even if they're still using substances. Focusing on harm reduction and incremental progress promotes patient-centered care and improves engagement.  Engage patients in the community and provide low-threshold care: Meet patients where they are, shelters, streets, and needle exchanges, to better understand their challenges and build trust with populations that might fear traditional healthcare settings. Offering low-threshold community care rather than requiring clinic visits reduces barriers to access and further supports relationship-building.  Tailor treatment to social realities: Adjust prescription lengths, visit frequency, and monitoring based on each patient’s circumstances (e.g., shorter prescriptions if someone can't safely store medications in a shelter, longer prescriptions to reduce transportation barriers).   Recognize how race and criminalization shape treatment access: The war on drugs disproportionately harms people of color, creating cycles of incarceration, overdose risk, and barriers to housing and employment.  Address loneliness and isolation: Many patients on buprenorphine often lack social support. Helping them identify healthy networks and community spaces can reduce loneliness and support recovery.  Advocate for system-level change: Clinicians should make their voices heard by engaging with legislators, health departments, and professional organizations like ASAM to help shape policies that support low-threshold, flexible, and equitable addiction treatment options.  🔗 Resources ASAM’s DEI Online Education Series (FREE):   Taking Action to Minimize Inequalities in Addiction Medicine  Addressing Intersectionality within Addiction Medicine   Health Disparities in Substance Use Disorder   Setting the Stage: Racism in the History of Substance Use and Addiction   Advancing Racial Justice and Health Equity In the Context of Addiction Medicine: ASAM’s public statement to recognize, understand, and counteract the adverse effects of America’s historical, pervasive, and continuing systemic racism, specifically with respect to addiction prevention, early intervention, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.  Structural Competency Working Group: An organization founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2014 that develops and shares curricula, workshops, and resources to help healthcare professionals recognize and address the social and structural determinants of health.   Structural Competency: provides training materials and resources designed to help healthcare professionals understand and address the social, political, and economic structures that shape health disparities, supporting the broader mission of the Structural Competency Working Group.  One Doctor’s Experience Shows the Battle for the Future of Addiction Medicine: Pattani A. NPR via Houston Public Media. January 5, 2026.   📢 Join the Discussion Share your thoughts using #ASAMPracticePearls — we’d love to hear from you! In support of improving patient care, the American Society of Addiction Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    26 min

  5. MAR 9

    Optimizing Treatment for Co-occurring Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders

    In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Drs. Stephen Taylor and Smita Das discuss co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders (SUD). They explore the most common psychiatric conditions seen alongside addiction, share strategies for distinguishing primary psychiatric disorders from substance-induced symptoms, and review approaches to screening, treatment planning, and integrated care. The conversation highlights practical screening tools, medication considerations, and populations with unique clinical needs, emphasizing the importance of treating both conditions concurrently. ----more---- Looking for this episode's transcript? Download it HERE Get credit for listening! Claim your 0.5 CEs HERE Have an idea for a future episode? Share it with us at education@asam.org. Host Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states. Expert Smita Das, MD, PhD, MPH   Dr. Smita Das is board-certified in psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. She studied chemistry and statistics at Stanford University, earned her Master’s in Public Health at Dartmouth College, and completed her MD/PhD in Community Health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Das completed her psychiatry residency and served as chief resident at Stanford, followed by an addiction psychiatry fellowship at UCSF. She has over two decades of research experience in healthcare quality and addiction. Dr. Das is a former chair of the APA Council on Addiction Psychiatry, a past president of an APA District Branch, and a member of the APA Advisory Council for Workplace Mental Health. She previously served as Director of Addiction Treatment Services at the Palo Alto VA and as Vice President of Psychiatry at Lyra Health. Currently, Dr. Das practices in addictions at Stanford School of Medicine as a Clinical Associate Professor. 📖 Show Segments 00:05 - Introduction  03:58 - Common Co-occurring Psychiatric Conditions  05:37 - Prevalence and Substance-Specific Co-occurrences 08:35 - Distinguishing Primary vs Substance-Induced Symptoms 11:33 - Screening Tools and Measurement-Based Care 14:25 - Pharmacological Management Challenges 18:11 - Breaking Through Treatment Barriers 21:46 - Special Populations: Adolescents, Older Adults, and Peripartum Patients 25:12 - Key Takeaways 26:45 - Conclusion and Additional Learning Opportunity  📋 Key Takeaways Co-occurrence is the rule, not the exception - Approximately half of people with substance use disorders also have another mental health condition, making integrated treatment essential.  Screen for both conditions routinely - Use validated screening tools, such as PHQ-9 for depression, GAD-7 for anxiety, NIDA screeners for substance use, and the Columbia scale for suicidality to identify co-occurring conditions early.  Treat both conditions together - Research consistently shows that integrated, concurrent treatment of psychiatric and substance use disorders leads to better outcomes.  Take a thorough history - Understanding the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and substance use is important for proper diagnosis and treatment planning.  Know the most common co-occurring conditions - Depression, generalized anxiety disorder, ADHD, psychotic disorders, and trauma-related disorders such as PTSD are the most common co-occurring psychiatric conditions with SUDs. There are also specific substance-disorder pairings to be aware of, such as alcohol and depression, opioids and chronic pain/PTSD/depression, stimulants and bipolar/psychosis, benzodiazepines and anxiety, and cannabis and psychosis.   Be aware of medication challenges - Consider drug interactions, such as benzodiazepines and opioids, symptom overlap like withdrawal mimicking psychiatric symptoms, misuse and diversion risks, and the proper timing of pharmacological interventions.   Address systemic barriers - Break down silos between addiction and psychiatric care through better communication, education, advocacy for parity, and coordinated treatment approaches.  Tailor care for populations with unique clinical needs - Adolescents, older adults, and peripartum patients need age-appropriate screening and treatment strategies that address their unique presentations and challenges.  🔗 Resources ASAM 2025 Review Course: Psychiatric Co-morbidities: Complexities of Diagnosis and Care: Register HERE  Alcohol Use Disorder and Common Co-occurring Psychiatric Conditions: Register HERE   ASAM 55th Annual Conference: Co-occurring Disorders: Integrating Prevention, Intervention and Evidence: Register HERE  Screening Tools:  PHQ-9  - Patient Health Questionnaire-9 BAM – Brief Addiction Monitor  C-SSRS – Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale  GAD-7 - General Anxiety Disorder-7 NIDA’s 3-Question Screener   📢 Join the Discussion Share your thoughts using #ASAMPracticePearls — we’d love to hear from you! In support of improving patient care, the American Society of Addiction Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    28 min

  6. FEB 23

    Contingency Management: The Nuts and Bolts of Implementation

    In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Drs. Stephen Taylor and Brian Hurley explore contingency management as an evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders. They address common concerns and share practical strategies for implementing contingency management in real-world clinical settings, offering listeners actionable insights and best practices for integrating contingency management into comprehensive care. ----more---- Looking for this episode's transcript? Download it HERE Get credit for listening! Claim your 0.5 CEs HERE Have an idea for a future episode? Share it with us at education@asam.org. Host Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states. Expert Brian Hurley, MD, MBA, DFASAM   Dr. Brian Hurley is an addiction physician and the Medical Director of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Prevention and Control in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. He currently serves as Immediate Past President of the ASAM Board of Directors. He has served on a variety of committees and councils at ASAM, including originating ASAM's Motivational Interviewing course and co-authoring the ASAM and AAAP National Practice Guideline on the Treatment of Stimulant Use Disorder. Dr. Hurley has led and facilitated projects funded through competitive grants from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the California Department of Health Care Services’ Opioid Response Programming in partnership with The Center at Sierra Health Foundation. These projects support harm reduction services and increase the availability of addiction medications in public sector programs across Los Angeles County. 📖 Show Segments 00:05 - Introduction  02:44 - Evidence and Effectiveness  04:45 - Use in Treating Substance Use Disorders 07:38 - How Contingency Management Works in Practice 08:54 - Integrating With Other Treatments 11:49 - Barriers: Payment, Medicaid, and State Differences 15:29 - Organizational Readiness and Staff Buy-In 18:49 - Digital Therapeutics and Virtual Delivery 20:37 - Addressing Misconceptions 21:31 - Importance of Objectivity and Role Separation 23:35 - Conclusion and Additional Learning Opportunity  📋 Key Takeaways Implement Incentive-Based Treatment: Research shows that providing incentives for objective behaviors, like abstinence, medication adherence, or even attendance, significantly improves treatment outcomes and drives positive behavior change in patients with use disorders. Utilize Contingency Management for Use Disorders: Contingency management can benefit those with stimulant, cannabis, tobacco, alcohol, and opioid use disorders.  Set Clear Criteria and Immediate Rewards: Success depends on clear criteria, prompt incentives, and consistent application.  Integrate with Comprehensive Care: Contingency management works well alongside counseling, medication, and comprehensive care programs.  Secure Sustainable Funding and Coverage: Sustainable payment models and organizational buy-in are essential for widespread adoption.  Utilize Digital and Virtual Tools: Virtual delivery is effective, especially when paired with ongoing engagement in treatment programs.  Assign Dedicated Incentive Administrators: The person delivering incentives should not be the patient’s primary counselor or physician to maintain fairness and consistency.  Structure Programs for Lasting Change: Plan for contingency management interventions to last several months, focusing on building sustainable, long-term behavior change. Contingency management is not a lifelong intervention.  🔗 Resources Contingency Management: Overcoming Implementation Barriers to Bring Science to Practice: Register HERE  Treatment of Stimulant Use Disorder Course (6 hours): Register HERE  Treatment of Stimulant Use Disorder Online Course (2 hours): Register HERE   The ASAM/AAAP Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Stimulant Use Disorder  📢 Join the Discussion Share your thoughts using #ASAMPracticePearls — we’d love to hear from you! In support of improving patient care, the American Society of Addiction Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    25 min

  7. FEB 9

    Understanding Medetomidine: Emerging Challenges for Addiction Medicine

    In the Season 2 premiere of ASAM Practice Pearls, Drs. Stephen Taylor and Jeanmarie Perrone follow up on Season 1’s episode, Emerging Illicit Substances: What Clinicians Need to Know. Together, they discuss how medetomidine has continued to spread to different regions and what has changed over the past year. They explore strategies for managing medetomidine withdrawal, keeping patients safe, and preparing for this growing public health threat.  ----more---- Looking for this episode's transcript? Download it HERE Get credit for listening! Claim your 0.5 CEs HERE Have an idea for a future episode? Share it with us at education@asam.org. Host Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states. Expert Jeanmarie Perrone, MD, FASAM, FACMT   Dr. Jeanmarie Perrone is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the founding Director of the Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Perrone leads programs for the treatment of Opioid and Alcohol Use Disorders from the emergency department and via a virtual telehealth bridge clinic (CareConnect). Her work has been funded by city health departments and by NIDA, PCORI, CDC, and SAMHSA. She has advocated at the state and national level and contributed to working groups to enhance low-barrier treatment access for substance use disorders and improving toxicosurveillance. She has been recognized with awards for leadership, education, and mentorship.  📖 Show Segments 00:05 - Season 2 Introduction 01:03 - New Drug Crisis: Medetomidine  02:34 - Pharmacology and Withdrawal Symptoms 05:58 - Clinical Management and Patient Care 08:22 - Public Health and Harm Reduction 11:56 - Regional Impact and Future Concerns 15:21 - Key Takeaways and Action Items 19:26 - Conclusion and Additional Learning Opportunities 📋 Key Takeaways Recognize the symptoms: Medetomidine withdrawal presents with refractory vomiting and tremors and is complicated by severe hypertension and tachycardia, within 2 hours of last use.  Treat aggressively with clonidine, an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, and olanzapine: Use high doses of clonidine (0.2-0.4 mg, as often as every 2 hours) combined with alpha-2 adrenergic agonists for concurrent opioid withdrawal, and olanzapine to help control nausea and vomiting to prevent escalation to the ICU.  Use dexmedetomidine for severe cases: Approximately one-third (or more) of patients require dexmedetomidine infusion in the ED or ICU to manage symptoms. Coordinate early with critical care if symptoms worsen despite initial treatment.  Distinguish from alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal: If a patient presents with what looks like alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal but doesn't respond to benzodiazepines or barbiturates, consider adding dexmedetomidine. If the patient responds to the dexmedetomidine, medetomidine withdrawal should be considered.  Update naloxone education: Teach patients and bystanders that the goal for naloxone is improved respiratory effort, not wakefulness. Medetomidine may keep the person sedated even after successful opioid reversal.  Provide medetomidine test strips: In areas with lower medetomidine prevalence, test strips can help patients identify and avoid adulterated supplies.   Monitor the local drug supply: Connect with drug-checking programs in your area to learn which adulterants are present and at what prevalence.  Report suspected cases to your local health department: Help track the spread of medetomidine by reporting suspected cases. Public health surveillance is essential.   🔗 Resources Medetomidine: Rising Adulterant in the Illicit Drug Supply - Download HERE ASAM’s 57th Annual Conference - Register HERE  Focus Session: Pharmacologic Innovations in Alpha-2 Agonist Withdrawal Management in EDs and ICUs  Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy by Penn Medicine: Medetomidine -Review current information on Pennsylvania’s medetomidine withdrawal protocol.   Substance Use Philly: Medetomidine - Review current information from the city of Philadelphia on medetomidine, including its effects, treatment, and harm reduction recommendations, and available resources for community members, non-medical organizations, and healthcare providers.  Responding to Overdose and Withdrawal Involving Medetomidine - Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction. June 10, 2025.   Medetomidine Palm Card - Department of Public Health, City of Philadelphia -  An informational card on medetomidine withdrawal that can be used for patient education and guidance to healthcare providers on managing medetomidine withdrawal.  Emergence of Medetomidine in the Illicit Drug Supply: Implications for Emergency Care and Withdrawal Management - Lynch MJ, Pizon AF, Yealy DM. Ann Emerg Med. Published online January 22, 2026. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2025.12.004 A Powerful New Drug Is Causing a “Withdrawal Crisis” in Philadelphia - The New York Times  📢 Join the Discussion Share your thoughts using #ASAMPracticePearls — we’d love to hear from you! In support of improving patient care, the American Society of Addiction Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    21 min

  8. 2025-08-31

    Overdose Awareness: Preventing, Responding, and Intervening

    In recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day, the Season 1 finale of ASAM Practice Pearls explores recent trends in overdoses. Drs. Stephen Taylor and Alexander Walley discuss the increase of fentanyl and other contaminants in the drug supply, the impact of racial and geographic disparities, and the importance of community-specific responses. They highlight the value of compassionate overdose care, data-driven interventions, and strategies to help individuals post-overdose. Together, they discuss the need to lower barriers to treatment and foster future leaders in addiction medicine. ----more---- Looking for this episode's transcript? Download it HERE We want to hear from you! Please take our short, five-minute survey HERE or email us at education@asam.org. Host Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states.  Expert Alexander Y. Walley, MD, MSc, DFASAM  Dr. Alexander Y. Walley is Professor of Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, primary care physician and addiction specialist at Boston Medical Center focused on the medical complications of substance use, specifically HIV and overdose. He leads research studies on overdose prevention and the integration of addiction specialty care and general medical care. He is a founder of Boston Medical Center’s inpatient addiction consult service and walk-in substance use care bridge clinic. Dr. Walley was a founding director of the Grayken Addiction Medicine Fellowship and is the president of the American College of Academic Addiction Medicine. He serves as the medical director for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, the Overdose Prevention Program, and the SafeSpot Overdose Prevention Hotline.  📖 Show Segments 00:05 - Introduction  00:17 - Epidemiology and Geographical Areas of Concern  07:15 - Racial, Geographic, and Socioeconomic Disparities 08:58 - Contaminants in the Drug Supply Affect Overdose Response 13:03 - Engaging Patients with Post-Overdose Care 18:18 - Approaching Conversations About Overdose Risk 23:42 - Tools for Overdose Prevention 26:19 - Policy, Protocols, and Treatment Innovationsr 30:41 - Training the Next Generation 33:23 - Final Thoughts on the Overdose Crisis 34:05 - Conclusion and Additional Learning Opportunities 📋 Key Takeaways Understand the Evolving Nature of the Opioid Epidemic: The overdose crisis has progressed through distinct waves, from prescription opioids, to heroin, to fentanyl, and now to increasingly complex combinations with stimulants and synthetic substances.  Address Racial, Ethnic, and Geographic Disparities: Marginalized populations and rural communities often face greater risk and reduced access to prevention, harm reduction, and treatment resources, requiring intentional, equity-focused interventions.  Respond to Emerging Drug Supply Contaminants: The presence of non-opioid substances like xylazine complicates overdose response, as naloxone may not reverse all effects, requiring expanded training and protocols for responders.  Promote Compassionate Overdose Response: In the event of an overdose, the priority is to restore breathing quickly and safely. Use only the amount of naloxone necessary and offer supportive, nonjudgmental care throughout the recovery process.  Encourage Practical Overdose Prevention Strategies: Most fatal overdoses occur when people use alone. Help patients develop practical safety plans, such as not using alone, developing safety plans, using drug checking tools, and maintaining access to naloxone to reduce overdose risk.   Leverage Real-Time Data for Community Action: Tools like OD Map and CDC dashboards provide real-time insights that can help inform timely, targeted community responses to emerging overdose patterns.  Lower Barriers to Evidence-Based Treatment: Expanding access to care through same-day treatment, low-barrier programs, and integrated support services, such as housing, education, and employment, helps improve outcomes and reduce overdose deaths.  Remove Barriers to Treatment and Support Systems: Expanding access to care, integrating social supports, and investing in workforce development, including training future addiction medicine leaders, are important for sustainable progress.  🔗 Resources The ASAM Principles of Addiction Medicine (Seventh Edition):  The Harm Reduction Approach to Caring for People Who Use Substances: Miller S, Rosenthal RN, Levy S, Saxon AJ, Tetrault JM, Wakeman SE. (Eds), The ASAM Principles of Addiction Medicine (Seventh Edition). American Society of Addiction Medicine, Inc.; 2024:1509-1529.  A Call for Compassionate Opioid Overdose Response: Russell E, Hawk M, Neale J, Bennett AS, Davis C, Hill LG, Winograd R, Kestner L, Lieberman A, Bell A, Santamour T, Murray S, Schneider KE, Walley AY, Jones TS.  Int J Drug Policy. 2024 Nov;133:104587. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104587. Epub 2024 Sep 18. PMID: 39299143.    Understanding and Addressing Widening Racial Inequalities in Drug Overdose: Friedman JR, Nguemeni Tiako MJ, Hansen H.  Am J Psychiatry. 2024 May 1;181(5):381-390. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230917. PMID: 38706336; PMCID: PMC11076008.  National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP): Provides expertise and technical assistance to support public health professionals.  Safe Spot (1-800-972-0590): A toll-free, 24/7 confidential service that provides overdose safety planning and response to people using drugs alone.  State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS): Provides detailed information on the characteristics and circumstances of overdose deaths to inform drug overdose prevention and response efforts.  📢 Join the Discussion Share your thoughts using #ASAMPracticePearls — we’d love to hear from you!

    35 min
See All (29)

About

Season 1 | Season 2 Join ASAM Practice Pearls for in-depth discussions on addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery. Geared toward healthcare professionals and individuals seeking knowledge, this series explores the latest evidence-based approaches to addiction medicine. Listen to interviews with leading experts as they delve into critical topics and share practical tools you can use to improve patient care and promote public health.

Information

  • Creator
    ASAM Education
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    ASAM Practice Pearls

You Might Also Like