Chicago, Illinois (PRWEB) June 12, 2013

The American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) was proud to honor and recognize 537 physicians who achieved board certification in addiction medicine during the organizations recent annual awards luncheon in Chicago, IL. The new ABAM diplomates join 2,557 physicians in the United States who have already been certified and awarded diplomate status by ABAM, an independent medical specialty board.

ABAM certifies addiction medicine physicians from all medical specialties, including emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, preventive medicine, psychiatry, neurology and surgery. Prior to the establishment of ABAM, psychiatrists were the only specialists who had addiction-related board certification available to them. ABAM also sets standards for physician education, assesses physicians knowledge, and requires and tracks Maintenance of Certification through life-long continuous education.

We want addiction prevention, screening, intervention and treatment to become routine aspects of medical care, available virtually any place health care is provided, said Jeffrey Samet, MD, President of the American Board of Addiction Medicine.

One in five Americans entering the health care system has a substance abuse problem. The American Board of Addiction Medicine is the only medical specialty board that both draws from all areas of medicine and is dedicated to certifying addiction specialists. By seeking ABAM-certified addiction physician specialists, patients have a way to find specialized medical care for substance use disorders related to alcohol, tobacco and other addicting drugs, including some prescription medications.

Physicians are often at a loss for what to do about substance use and addiction issues, and may even misdiagnose the problem, said Dr. Samet. We hope to change this by creating a cadre of thousands of specialized physicians across medical specialties.

Studies show that fewer than one in five physicians consider themselves adequately prepared to diagnose alcoholism or other drug use disorders. Physician training is sorely lacking. Separate courses in addiction medicine are rarely taught in medical school, and there are no addiction medicine residencies among the 8,200 American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited residency programs in the nations hospitals.

The American Board of Addiction Medicine provides assurance to the American public that addiction medicine physicians have the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and treat addiction, said Dr. Samet. ABAM-certified physicians will also be able to address common medical or psychiatric conditions related to the use of addictive substances.

Created in 2007, with the encouragement of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, ABAM offers a rigorous certifying examination that was developed by an expert panel and the National Board of Medical Examiners, as well as annual Maintenance of Certification requirements to ensure that ABAM-certified physicians maintain life-long competence in addiction medicine.

ABAM has a governing body of 15 distinguished physicians from across a range of medical specialties, each of whom is certified by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). ABAM is in the process of seeking recognition from ABMS, and plans to certify physicians in multiple specialties. ABAM has taken steps to assist in the creation of addiction medicine training programs affiliated with the nations top medical schools. Eighteen of these programs are now accredited by The ABAM Foundation.

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Five Hundred Thirty-Seven New Diplomates Certified by American Board of Addiction Medicine