TnSAM Chapter Monthly Meetings
Please contact Dr. Zotos or ASAM membership for dates and times.
A Zoom invitation will be sent to members upon request.
DEA Announces Important Change to Registration Requirement
Dear DEA Registrant:
On December 29, 2022, with the signing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (the Act), Congress eliminated the “DATA-Waiver Program.”
DEA fully supports this significant policy reform. At this moment, when the United States is suffering tens of thousands of opioid-related drug poisoning deaths every year, the DEA’s top priority is doing everything in...
Toxicology Question of the Week: Approaches for Harm Reduction in the State of Tennessee
January 20, 2023: Approaches for Harm Reduction in the State of Tennessee
TOXICOLOGY QUESTION OF THE WEEK
JANUARY 20, 2023
APPROACHES FOR HARM REDUCTION IN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE
As promised, the following are the thoughts/proposals of Dr. Reid Finlayson.
I support harm reduction but propose that reorganization to improve evaluation and evidence-based medical treatment will resolve...
US Settlement Signals Protection for Addiction Medicine
By Travis Loller
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A former Tennessee correctional officer will receive $160,000 in back pay and damages after he was forced to resign for taking Suboxone to treat his opioid use disorder, if a judge approves a landmark consent decree filed in federal court in Nashville on Wednesday.
It is the first time the U.S. Department of Justice has used the Americans with...
TNSAM’s Support for the Enactment of SB 2572
TnSAM supports SB2572 A Bill to increase access to Naloxone to reduce overdose deaths.
View letter to Governor Lee
OBOT Program Changes: New Tennessee Laws Allow NPs and PAs to Prescribe Buprenorphine and Impose New Financial
As Tennessee continues to look for options to expand access to opioid treatment services, a new Tennessee law expands the types of providers who may prescribe medication-assisted treatment and imposes certain financial obligations on all providers who prescribe buprenorphine.
Under Tennessee HB1980, certain non-physician practitioners – such as nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician...
SB1391- Bad Medicine in Tennessee for Pregnant and Drug-addicted Women
A July law could lock up new mothers who are on drugs, a move that some say will inflict even more harm
September 30, 2014 5:00AM ET
by Lindsay Beyerstein@Beyerstein
Excerpt: In theory, a woman who gives birth to a sick baby could avoid the misdemeanor-assault charge that SB1391 carries by successfully completing a court-approved drug-rehab program. But for a number of reasons, including...
Current Legislative Concerns
In response to current legislative concerns:
Dear all,
We have fended off a number of legislative issues and regulatory challenges in Tennessee over the last few years. Some brief background: 1) Tennessee physicians lead the nation in prescribing opiates, 143 prescriptions each year per 100 persons (compared with 60 in NY) despite TnSAM sponsoring REMS courses and other CME. 2) Tennessee has...
ASAM Supports Markey Bill
ASAM declared its support for The Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment (TREAT) Act. This bill would lift the buprenorphine prescribing limit for addiction physician specialists and non-specialist providers. As it stands, the prescribing limit inhibits treatment for many people suffering from the chronic disease of addiction.
Read the ASAM letter of support from Dr. Gitlow.
Legislating Limited Treatment Will Worsen Outcomes
Recovery , stable sustained abstinence, does not alleviate the accountabilities of addiction treatment by the healthcare professionals. Each year, more than 13,000 specialized addiction treatment programs in the United States serve between 1.8 and 2.3 million individuals, many of whom are seeking help under external duress. Those who are the source of such pressure are, as they see it,...