Benzodiazepines: The Hidden Epidemic (2017) | Richard Ries, MD
This presentation is part of the Addiction Medicine Review Course 2017, an overview of the core elements of addiction medicine, presented by top experts in the field. Together with the other presentation it can serve as a broad review for clinicians, a review of the basics for newcomers, or a starting point for those preparing to sit for the Board of Addiction Exam.
Target Audience
- Addiction medicine specialists who want an overview of the latest developments in the field and their relevance to clinical practice
- Primary care clinicians who want to get a better understanding of addiction and manage patients with addictions in their practice
- Public health officials who want an understanding of the current state of addiction treatment
- Non-physicians who are involved in the treatment of addiction
Learning Objectives
After participating in this activity learners should be able to:
- Recognize benzodiazepine withdrawal syndromes
- Explain the pharmacology of benzodiazepines
- Apply an understanding of the epidemiology of benzodiazepines to help identify abuse
- Apply methods of tapering from benzodiazepines (BZs)
- Understand the evidence for effectiveness of each method
- Describe risks and benefits of each method
Richard Ries, MD
Dr. Ries is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Ries serves as Associate Director of the University of Washington Addiction Psychiatry Residency Program. Dr. Ries is Director of Outpatient Psychiatry, Dual Disorder Programs, and the Chemical Dependency Project at Harborview Medical Center. He is director of substance abuse education at the University of Washington Medical School and director of the Division of Addictions for the Department of Psychiatry. He has obtained NIDA sponsored clinical research grants in 1989 and 1997 to evaluate treatment outcome in dual disorders and also helped develop and participate in a NIDA sponsored training videotape (1996) on dual disorders. Dr. Ries was chosen to chair the first official Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP#9-1994) on dual disorders by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. He is the co-editor of the key reference text Principles of Addiction Medicine, published by the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
Disclosure
Dr. Ries has no relevant financial relationships
The California Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM) is accredited by the Institute for Medical Quality/California Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians. CSAM takes responsibility for the content, quality and scientific integrity of this CME activity.
CSAM designates this edduring internet-based educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
This credit may also be applied to the CMA Certification in Continuing Medical Education.
Available Credit
- 1.00 AMA Category 1
- 1.00 Attendance