This session provides a focused overview of professionalism in addiction medicine, including core ethical principles, legal frameworks, and the physician’s role in advocacy, aligned with the ACAAM National Addiction Medicine Didactic Curriculum and ABPM content areas.
What This Covers • Core ethical principles, including autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and confidentiality • Legal considerations in addiction medicine, including privacy protections and regulatory frameworks • The relationship between healthcare and the legal system in addiction care • Common clinical and professional scenarios illustrating ethical challenges and competing priorities • Application of ethical and professional principles in clinical practice and decision-making • The role of physician advocacy in improving systems of care and reducing barriers to treatment • Strategies to navigate complex clinical, legal, and ethical situations in addiction medicine
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.
Alison Lynch, MD MS
Dr. Lynch is an addiction medicine psychiatrist and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. She specializes in the treatment of substance use disorders, including opioid use disorder and co‑occurring psychiatric conditions.
Her work focuses on clinical care, medical education, and systems-based approaches to improving access to addiction treatment across healthcare settings.
Alicia Kilian, MD
Dr. Kilian is an internal medicine physician who, at the time of this presentation, was an Addiction Medicine Fellow at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
Christopher Schanbacher, MD
Dr. Schanbacher is an emergency medicine physician who, at the time of this presentation, was an Addiction Medicine Fellow at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
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.