Home > Public policy statement on medical ethics in addiction medicine.

American Society of Addiction Medicine. (2024) Public policy statement on medical ethics in addiction medicine. Rockville, MD: American Society of Addiction Medicine.

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The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has adopted the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Principles and Code of Medical Ethics (“the Principles”) that guide physicians in the ethical practice of medicine.1 In prefacing the Principles, the AMA describes the complex relationship between ethical values and legal principles, and acknowledges that laws sometimes permit or even mandate ethically unacceptable conduct.2 Given that criminal-legal consequences can be associated with substance use, and that stigma and discrimination surround addiction and its medical treatment, addiction specialist physicians (ASPs)3 face unique and difficult professional ethical challenges that are not addressed by the Principles, specifically. Thus, this statement elucidates the Principles to help guide ethical decision-making in the clinical practice of addiction medicine. In general, ASAM believes many of these recommendations can apply to any physician or other healthcare professional engaged in addiction treatment, even if not an ASP...

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