The American Board of Addiction Medicine Foundation has accredited 10 training problems for residencies in addiction medicine. Trained addiction medicine physicians will now be able to work alongside other addiction treatment professionals.
"Training coupled with passage of our rigorous examination will help assure that evidence-based addiction treatment is available to all who need it," said Kevin Kunz, M.D., American Board of Addiction Medicine Foundation President. "Patients will have access to specialized medical care for substance use disorders related to alcohol, tobacco and other addicting drugs, including some prescription medications."
With the confirmation that addiction is a chronic disease, the demand for board certified physicians in addiction medicine is undeniable. It is believed that the demand for addiction medicine physicians will increase over time. Up until now, training in medical school has been limited for addiction medicine, and specific courses in addiction medicine are rarely taught in medical school.
"Accrediting these and future training programs will provide assurance to the American public that addiction medicine physicians have the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and treat addiction, and that trained physicians are available to address common medical or psychiatric conditions related to the use of addictive substances," said Richard Blondell, M.D., Chair of the Foundation's Training and Accreditation Committee.
There are currently 8,890 accredited physician residency programs in hospitals across the United States. Before the formation of the American Board of Addiction Medicine Foundation, only psychiatry offered sub-specialized training and certification for physicians in addiction medicine. Once the residencies are determined to meet the necessary criteria, the American Board of Addiction Medicine Foundation will apply to the American Council of Graduate Medical Education to receive accreditation.
