Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine Annual Conference, Vancouver, 2018

The Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine Annual Conference 2018 at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver was a great success. Over 650 attendees.  A wide range of topics from Tobacco Addiction, Alcohol Addiction, timely discussion of marijuana, the opiate fentanyl crisis and the overdose epidemic.  All were discussed by the leading authorities in Canada. Aboriginal communities and peoples, women and addiction,  the role of peer support workers and the advancing importance of nurse practitioners and others in the field all were addressed.
Dr. Paul Sobey, President of CSAM and Dr. Jennifer Brasch, Ontario CSAM Board  were the conference organizers and did a spectacular job of inclusivity and relevance.  One presentation gave an astonishing history of the organization listing all the past presidents many of whom I’d had the privlege of knowing.  So much had been accomplished by the pioneers and those who followed behind.
It was an especially moving moment when Dr. Nady el Guebaly was presented the lifetime achievement award, his contributions to  CSAM early years being legendary as was his part in founding ISAM, the International Society of Addiction Medicine.  I had first met Dr. el Guebaly as a psychiatry resident in the 80’s  when he was a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba before he moved on to be the Head of Psychiatry at University of Alberta. I was moonlighting at the time covering nights and call at the Winnipeg Detox. What most impressed me early years was his dedication to scientific research. His work in Gambling Addiction  is unsurpassed.  He is also author of International Addiction Medicine ; A Certification Exam and New Textbook as well as serving as editor for the Journal of Addiction. It was a joy to see him receiving this award and also learning that he’d received the Order of Canada for his work in Addictions.
Having joined  CSAM in 2002, some 16 years ago, the best part of the conference is seeing old faces still looking new and meeting some of the weary new faces. With experienced clinicians the most important aspect of conferences simply doesn’t go on educationally from the perspective of the content and show and tell in the lecture theatres. It’s in the personal discussions in the hallways and the private consultations.  Dr. Raju Hajela is one of the most learned and respected addiction medicine clinicians so it was truly a boon to discuss a difficult clinical situation  that was also personally troubling, with him,  and gaining his insight and  wisdom.
I was delighted to be uplifted by Annie McCullough who was there representing Together We Can Treatment Centre. I see so many of the clients of that program at DocSide Medical where I work with Dr. Gary Hovarth and have been thoroughly impressed with the TWC success stories. The very best inpatient treatment centres, including Homewood, Last Door, Orchard, Cedars, Edgewood, Together We Can, and more were represented in meet and greet area. I especially enjoyed talking to the folk from Narcotics Anonymous.  After all the great science in the lecture halls  I especially loved a spiritually uplifting chat with Geoffrey a young Saskatchewan academic researcher who spoke heartfully of the loss of life in addiction.
I was then  blessed to meet Dr. Elliot Gardner. I have listened in awe to several of his presentations on the field of addiction medicine starting from my first attendance at CSAM. His insights and experience are profound. Yet there I was shaking his hand and chatting amiably with a personal great. The same with Dr. Marsh.
Personally my favourite presentation was by Launette Rieb in the all around incredible workshop Treating Pain in People with Addiction and Mental Health Challenges.  The room was packed and the hallways full for the presentations by Launetter Rieb, Annabel Mead and Robert Tanguay, all three the real bright lights in this growing field. Addiction Medicine, Psychiatry, Internal Medicine,  Family Medicine and Public Health are all overlapping. Representatives from all these specialities were well selected with superb presentations.  My other favourite presentation was the session on Communicable diseases and Substance Use Disorders with Chris Cavacuiti, Astou Thiam and Laura Bell. When it comes to scientific sleuthing I was thoroughly impressed with Laura Bell and her team at Western Ontario in addressing HIV in the using paraphernalia.  An amazing story worthy of NCIS.
The tours of the Injection sites, the down town EAST SIDE hotels, Dr. Peter Centre, were all the rave. Having been to all these, living and working here in Vancouver, I rather enjoyed using the spare time to have a marvellous chat with Rand, Reg and Monte.  Later I cross the street and did some neglected shopping at the Pacific Centre Apple Store.
Next year’s conference is in Halifax and I really do hope to go.