Latest news with #AmericanSocietyofAddictionMedicine
Business Wire
21-04-2025
- Health
- Business Wire
PursueCare to Spotlight Next-Gen Digital Therapeutics at the 56 th American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Conference in Denver April 24-27
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PursueCare, a leading provider of virtual addiction treatment and specialized pharmacy services, is proud to announce its participation in the 56th Annual American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Conference in Denver, Colo., April 24-27, 2025. The event gathers top experts, clinicians, and innovators in addiction medicine to advance science, practice, and policy in the field. With innovation at its core, PursueCare continues to lead the charge in transforming addiction care through accessible, scalable, and data-driven solutions. Share Honoring a Visionary in Addiction Medicine—Dr. Jason Kirby Named 2025 ASAM Distinguished Fellow PursueCare's Medical Director, Dr. Jason Kirby, DO, MBA, DFASAM, has been named a 2025 Distinguished Fellow of ASAM, one of the society's highest honors. This prestigious designation recognizes Dr. Kirby's enduring commitment to evidence-based, outcomes-driven care and his leadership in improving access to treatment for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). 'I began this journey nearly a decade ago with a mission to provide compassionate, science-backed care for people living with addiction. Being recognized as a Distinguished Fellow by ASAM is a profound honor,' said Dr. Kirby. 'It's a privilege to stand alongside so many esteemed leaders who are transforming the future of addiction medicine.' With dual board certifications in addiction medicine and family medicine, and deep expertise in healthcare policy and population health, Dr. Kirby exemplifies the innovative and empathetic leadership PursueCare brings to the field. Visit PursueCare at Booth #325—Experience RESET® and RESET-O® Conference attendees are invited to Booth #325 to experience PursueCare's cutting-edge, virtual-first addiction treatment platform. The company will spotlight its latest advancements, including: RESET® and RESET-O®—the first and only FDA-authorized digital therapeutics for SUD and opioid use disorder (OUD). Watch the video Transforming Addiction Treatment with RESET®. Tools that offer 24/7 recovery support, blending cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), contingency management, and real-time progress tracking within PursueCare's secure, proprietary smartphone applications. These groundbreaking therapeutics are seamlessly embedded into PursueCare's care model, extending the reach and impact of virtual addiction care. Elevating the Standards of Recovery 'Dr. Kirby's recognition as a Distinguished Fellow is a proud moment for everyone at PursueCare,' said Nick Mercadante, Founder and Chief Executive Officer. 'His tireless work to expand access and improve outcomes in virtual addiction treatment reflects our mission to reimagine what recovery looks like for people everywhere.' With innovation at its core, PursueCare continues to lead the charge in transforming addiction care through accessible, scalable, and data-driven solutions. About PursueCare PursueCare provides personalized virtual addiction treatment for individuals across states (CT, KY, MA, ME, NH, OH, and WV). Our mission is to increase access to chronic care through telehealth. Patients engage with a multi-disciplinary team providing medical care, counseling, psychiatry, and pharmacy. FDA-authorized digital cognitive behavioral therapy, RESET® and RESET-O®, supports recovery 24/7. We accept private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. Learn more at and
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I'm an addiction doctor, and I can't get lifesaving meds for many of my patients
Opioid overdoses kill more than three Arizonans every day. Luckily, we have an effective treatment: buprenorphine and methadone, collectively referred to as medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Not only do they treat the bone-crushing symptoms of opioid withdrawal, but they also keep people in addiction treatment and, most importantly, alive. Public health experts consider these medications to be the gold standard treatment for opioid use disorder. Unfortunately, it's easier to get the poison than the cure. Whereas cheap fentanyl can be found on the streets, it is not so easy to access MOUD. Few physicians prescribe these life-saving medications, and much of rural Arizona does not have access to a methadone clinic. And for the doctors who do prescribe MOUD, many are constrained by insurance companies' requirements for prior authorizations. If a medication requires prior authorization, a doctor must first submit a form for the insurance companies to approve — essentially arguing why they are recommending a particular treatment for their patient. If approved, the insurer will cover the bill. If not, the patient is on the hook, even if their doctor is adamant about the care they prescribed. Although prior authorizations claim to save money for the health system and protect resources, they can actually increase overall costs by delaying access to necessary care, contributing to preventable hospitalizations and wasting health care providers' time — something that could be better spent seeing patients. On average, physicians and their staff spend 12 hours a week fighting the red tape of prior authorization denials, according to a recent American Medical Association survey. Perhaps it is no surprise that only 4.1% of overdose survivors receive MOUD, with an average 72-day delay. But for those who do, the results are stark: they are at least 52% less likely to die from a subsequent overdose. Recognizing the challenges of prior authorization, the American Medical Association recommends that all prior-authorizations for buprenorphine be removed. Similarly, the American Society of Addiction Medicine recommends that payers 'eliminate prior authorization requirements for all formulations of addiction medications.' As an addiction physician at the University of Arizona, I have cared for many patients who need a long-acting, injectable form of buprenorphine. Instead of having pills that they forget to take or that get stolen, they could just come to the clinic once a month for an injection. But because of prior authorization requirements around this FDA-approved formulation, many of my patients cannot access the medication they need. Inevitably, I get a call — they are back in the hospital. Opinion: Fentanyl kills. But tougher sentences won't save anyone They couldn't afford their prescription. They relapsed onto fentanyl. And then they got sick again, whether it be from a recurrence of their soft tissue infection or an exacerbation of their heart failure. This costly readmission could have been prevented if I could only have been allowed to treat my patient according to my own medical judgment. To fix this problem, Arizona lawmakers have introduced House Bill 2674 to ensure that prior authorization requirements within the state's Medicaid program do not limit doctors from prescribing life-saving medications to those who need them. While opponents may point to the potential cost of implementing this policy, there is significant funding available to support this mandate; Arizona has almost $500 million of opioid settlement funds remaining. Furthermore, this bill will not open a floodgate of prescribers. Across the country, similar regulatory changes designed to remove treatment barriers have not significantly affected the amount of MOUD prescribed. Considering how few addiction specialists there are, few clinicians even know how to start these medications. But for the clinicians who are willing, let's remove the regulatory obstacles in their path. By treating addiction like the chronic disease it is, HB 2674 offers a unique opportunity to combat the opioid epidemic and make life better for all Arizonans. Dr. Melody Glenn is an addiction and emergency physician at The University of Arizona. Her first book, 'Mother of Methadone,' is forthcoming from Beacon Press this July. Reach her at melodyglenn@ This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Fentanyl is easy to find. Addiction medications? Not so much | Opinion
