This session provides a focused overview of harm reduction principles in addiction medicine, including patient-centered approaches to improving safety and reducing substance-related harms, aligned with the ACAAM National Addiction Medicine Didactic Curriculum and ABPM content areas.
What This Covers • Core harm reduction principles, including risk-benefit frameworks and meeting patients where they are • The role of harm reduction in clinical care and patient engagement • Practical strategies such as naloxone distribution, syringe service programs, overdose education, and drug checking • Emerging risks, including fentanyl contamination and polysubstance exposure • Integration of harm reduction into clinical practice through safety planning and community partnerships • Approaches to reduce overdose risk and improve outcomes for people who use substances
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.
Alexander Y. Walley, MD, MSc
Dr. Walley is an addiction medicine specialist and primary care physician at Boston Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. His clinical and research work focuses on the medical complications of substance use, including HIV and overdose, with an emphasis on integrating addiction care into general medical settings.
He is the founding director of the Grayken Addiction Medicine Fellowship and established both the inpatient addiction medicine consult service and a low‑barrier walk‑in substance use care clinic at Boston Medical Center. He also serves as Medical Director for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and Overdose Prevention Program and is the immediate past president of ACAAM.
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.