CHIGAGO – Primary care physicians need better training on preconception counseling, according to the American Medical Association House of Delegates.
At its annual meeting, the HOD passed without debate on June 9 a resolution that calls for the AMA to “support the training of all primary care physicians and relevant allied health professionals in the area of preconception counseling, including the recognition of long-acting reversible contraceptives as efficacious and economical forms of contraception.”
According to the reference committee report, the committee noted that “tremendously supportive testimony was heard for efforts to prevent teen pregnancy and for the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (sic) methods to achieve such prevention and minimize barriers for the use of effective contraception.”
Delegates also called upon the AMA to work with federal stakeholders and pharmaceutical manufacturers to “intensify collaborative efforts involving a public health approach” to reduce harm from inappropriate use, misuse, and diversion of prescription controlled substances, increase awareness that substance use disorders are chronic diseases in need of treatment, and reduce the stigma associated with patients suffering from persistent pain and/or substance use disorders.
According to the report, limited testimony noted that it was “incumbent upon our AMA to continue to address these issues, and further intensify collaborative efforts in order to promote solutions to what are difficult and complex public health issues facing the American public, patients, and their families, and the health care professionals who are entrusted with their treatment.”
The reference committee tackled a number of other issues. Among them was a resolution targeting advocacy for hepatitis C virus education, prevention, screening and treatment. The resolution adopted without debate called for birth year–based HCV screening in alignment with recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; working with the CDC and others on education and prevention efforts; supporting screening, prevention, and treatment programs “targeted toward maximum health benefit”; supporting adequate funding and negotiation for affordable pricing for HCV treatments; and recognizing correctional physicians and other physicians in the public health sector as key stakeholders in the development of HCV treatment guidelines.
Also addressed were issues related to drug labeling, with calls to the AMA to work with the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that drug labels are updated quicker as new evidence comes to market.
Delegates called on the AMA to support federal efforts to stimulate early research and development of rapid infectious disease diagnostic technologies through increased funding for the appropriate agencies, and to work with payers to overcome reimbursement barriers.