National Addiction Treatment Week Highlights Rewarding Career

Specialists share inspiring stories urging the medical community to treat addiction and save lives 

October 17, 2022 (Rockville, MD) – National Addiction Treatment Week returns October 17-23 to raise awareness about the disease of addiction, reduce the stigma surrounding addiction, and inspire medical professionals to treat the disease.

The week also highlights the critical treatment gap between the number of patients who need addiction treatment and the qualified medical professionals available to treat patients. Expanding the addiction medicine workforce is critical so those who need treatment can receive it.

In 2020, 41.1 million people aged 12 or older needed SUD treatment in the past year, but only 6.5% received it.

In that same year, there was a calculated workforce gap of 41,313 addiction medicine specialist physicians: 44,484 addiction medicine specialist physicians were needed to meet patients’ needs, yet there were only an estimated 3,171 available.

“While the nation pursues a resolution to the ‘opioid epidemic,’ we must remove the barriers to all addiction treatment," said Bill Haning, MD, DLFAPA, DFASAM, president of ASAM. "This week we are focusing on the devastating impact of addiction and how the foci on different substances can change over time. We are also examining the stigma associated with addiction, which makes it difficult for medical professionals to effectively save lives.”

Across multiple social media channels during the week, medical providers will share how treating addiction and becoming certified in addiction medicine has positively impacted their medical careers and patients. Additional resources will be shared about addiction and its treatment, including career paths in addiction medicine and ways to become certified. On Wednesday, October 21, a special focus on ending the stigma associated with addiction will be highlighted.

This annual initiative is hosted by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), with the support of partners and collaborators.

Learn more about the field of addiction medicine and medical board certification by following Treatment Week on Twitter @TreatmentWeek and using and following #TreatmentWeek on other social media such as Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. For more information, visit www.TreatAddictionSaveLives.org.

###