WALTHAM – Policies focusing on expansion of access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, caring for intersex children and e-cigarette consumer warning labels were among those newly adopted by the physician-members of the Massachusetts Medical Society.
Physicians and medical students from across the state attended the organization’s Interim Meeting last weekend and considered resolutions proposed by members to the House of Delegates, the medical society’s governing body. Resolutions that were accepted by the House of Delegates are now organizational policy.
Caring for patients with opioid use disorder:
The Massachusetts Medical Society supports the elimination of the buprenorphine waiver requirement and related restrictions, including the cap on the number of patients that physicians are eligible to treat with buprenorphine.
The Massachusetts Medical Society will advocate for amendment of federal and state laws to reduce current restrictions on the use of methadone for the treatment of opioid use disorder; while balancing the urgent need for expanded access with considerations for safe practices.
Evidence-based care of individuals born with differences in sex development:
The Massachusetts Medical Society supports optimal management of differences in sex development/intersex through individualized, multidisciplinary care that seeks to foster the well-being of the child and of the adult the child will become; respects the rights of the patient to participate in decisions and, except when life threatening circumstances require emergency intervention, defers medical or surgical intervention until the child is able to participate in decision making; and provides psychosocial support to promote patient and family well-being.
E-cigarettes:
The Massachusetts Medical Society will advocate for mandatory consumer warning labels on e-cigarette product packaging that strongly convey the potential health risks, including deadly lung disease. The Medical Society will advocate for continued research by appropriate entities such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Lung Association investigating the health impact of e-cigarette products.
The Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) is the statewide professional association for physicians and medical students, supporting 25,000 members. We are dedicated to educating and advocating for the physicians of Massachusetts and patients locally and nationally. A leadership voice in health care, the MMS contributes physician and patient perspectives to influence health-related legislation at the state and federal levels, works in support of public health, provides expert advice on physician practice management, and addresses issues of physician well-being. Under the auspices of the NEJM Group, the MMS extends our mission globally by advancing medical knowledge from research to patient care through the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM Catalyst, and the NEJM Journal Watch family of specialty publications, and through our education products for health care professionals: NEJM Knowledge+, NEJM Resident 360, and our accredited and comprehensive continuing medical education programs.
