This session provides a focused overview of substance use disorders in older adults, including epidemiology, screening considerations, and diagnostic challenges unique to geriatric populations, aligned with the ACAAM National Addiction Medicine Didactic Curriculum and ABPM content areas.
What This Covers • Epidemiology and patterns of substance use disorders in older adults • Screening considerations and challenges related to underrecognition and stigma • Age-related risk factors influencing substance use and treatment outcomes • Clinical presentations and common comorbidities, including polypharmacy, chronic illness, and cognitive impairment • Substance-specific considerations, including alcohol and opioid use in the context of aging physiology • Tailored management strategies, including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments • Care coordination and approaches to addressing barriers to treatment in older populations
How This Resource Is Used This session is designed for on-demand learning and targeted content review. It can be used to reinforce specific knowledge areas or as part of structured board preparation.
Abi Plawman, MD
Dr. Plawman is an addiction medicine physician and serves as Program Director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at MultiCare. Her clinical interests include substance use disorders in pregnancy and motivational interviewing.
She has a focus on patient-centered, nonjudgmental care and medical education, with experience training clinicians in the treatment of substance use disorders.
James Raspanti, DO
Dr. Raspanti is a family medicine and addiction medicine physician who serves as faculty with the MultiCare Addiction Medicine Fellowship. He is board certified in Addiction Medicine and Family Medicine.
His clinical work focuses on the treatment of substance use disorders across inpatient and outpatient settings, with an emphasis on integrated, patient-centered care and medical education.
To support a meaningful learning experience and recognize your participation:
Access PeriodAccess to this recording is available through June 30, 2027, in alignment with ACAAM’s annual academic cycle.
Recording Release CycleACAAM releases updated recorded sessions each July based on the prior academic year’s didactic series. These recordings are available for a limited time and are retired on June 30 of the following year as new content is released.