NCJ Number
197209
Journal
MsJAMA Volume: 287 Dated: April 10, 2002 Pages: 1857-1859
Date Published
April 2002
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Medical students and physicians should receive increased training in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes associated with drug-addiction diagnosis and treatment; and Federal and private funding of addiction treatment should better reflect the current understanding that addiction is a chronic and treatable illness.
Abstract
A survey of general practice physicians and nurses found that a majority believed that no available medical or health care interventions were effective in treating drug addiction. Further, most physicians did not screen for alcohol or other drug dependence during routine health examinations. Such pessimism about therapy does not accord with the relevant research. Research has shown that even brief interventions are effective in decreasing alcohol intake among problem drinkers; and research has shown the rates of compliance and efficacy of addiction treatment are similar to rates found in other chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. Physicians' negative attitudes toward addiction may reflect their experiences in medical school, since medical education about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of addiction remains disproportionate to the morbidity and mortality caused by this disease. The Federal Government's policies also reflect pessimism about addiction therapy and prevention, given that in 1999 more than two-thirds of the $17-billion budget of the Office of National Drug Control Policy went to law enforcement, while less than one-third was allotted to prevention, treatment, and research combined. 13 references