Mass Medical Society Adopts Policies on Substance Use Disorder
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
The resolution adopted by the MMS states the organizations support for the state-wide implementation of such programs and declares that the MMS will advocate for expanded government funding for treatment programs to increase the capacity to treat more individuals.
The policy adds to the Society's multiple efforts in addressing prescription drug abuse, which included prescribing guidelines, offering free educational courses on pain management for all prescribers, collaboration with state and public health officials on a variety of initiatives, and public information campaigns for patients about safe storage and disposal of pain medications.
Other Policies Adopted were:
Physician education about patients with intellectual disability/developmental disability. Recognizing the importance of physician knowledge about patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities and its commitment to supporting medically underserved populations, physicians adopted a resolution to provide continuing medical education opportunities for physicians that address the medical care of this population.
Human trafficking. Understanding that physicians have a unique and critical role to play in preventing, identifying, and treating the victims of human trafficking, the MMS called for the integration of human trafficking education into medical school curricula and the schools of other health professions, to promote continuing medical education and training on the subject for all health care providers, and encourage research to advance the understanding of human trafficking.
Clinical skills assessment for physician licensure. In a show of support for medical students in Massachusetts and across the U.S. who are advocating for the elimination of the Step 2 Clinical Skills Assessment exam as a requirement for physician licensure, MMS delegates voted to urge the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine to eliminate the test as a prerequisite to obtain a license to practice medicine.
Preventing weight stigma and discrimination of persons with obesity. Declaring that weight bias is prevalent throughout the health care system, MMS expanded its policy on obesity and resolved to develop and promote educational information to physicians and medical students about weight stigma and to advocate for legislation and practices to prevent stigma and discrimination.
Advertising by pharmaceutical companies. Expressing a concern for the rising costs of prescription drugs paid by patients, MMS physicians voted to advocate that all direct-to-consumer advertising expenses by pharmaceutical companies be reported publicly, to advocate that such costs not be passed on to patients, and to request that all relevant government agencies require reporting of direct-to-consumer advertising costs.
Massachusetts Medical Society
The Massachusetts Medical Society, with some 25,000 physicians and student members, is dedicated to educating and advocating for the patients and physicians of Massachusetts. The Society, under the auspices of NEJM Group, publishes the New England Journal of Medicine, a leading global medical journal and web site, and Journal Watch alerts and newsletters covering 13 specialties.
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