At the California Academy of Family Physicians, we know that Addiction Medicine is Family Medicine. In our latest series 1 in 5, we bring you stories of doctors - and their patients - who have worked together to reduce the harm done by opioid use disorder (OUD). These brief stories will bring you into the hearts and minds of our guests. We hope that this will inspire you to do everything in your power to bring medical attention to the OUD patients in your practice.

1 in 5 Series: The Beauty of the Bus: Meeting Opioid Use Disorder on the Road

This episode brings us up close with the life-long work of a compassionate, no-nonsense doctor... The ultimate patient advocate who has touched thousands of lives through his unique, home-grown outreach program.

Guests:

• Dr. Marc D. Lasher, DO specializes in addiction medicine, diagnosing and treating patients with substance abuse issues with the goal of achieving recovery. He attended his family medicine residency at UCSF Fresno and remains in Fresno today. He has offices in Aegis Medical System, and Adventist Health, and runs a free clinic on Saturdays out of a refurbished bus. In his words, “I treat addiction as a chronic disease.” “There are human beings behind addiction and a strong need for someone to touch people’s lives without stigma and taboos.”
• Our interviewer, Dr. Tipu Khan, MD, FAAFP, FASAM is the Medical Director of the Ventura County Backpack Medicine Group, Primary Care Hepatitis C Eradication Project. He is also Chief of the Ventura County Addiction Medicine Specialty clinic and consultation service, with a speciality in SUD in pregnancy.

The Family Docs Podcast is hosted by Rob Assibey, MD, FAAFP.

Resources

Epistle of Larry the Counselor

CAFP’s SUD webpage, including MOUD Champions https://familydocs.org

Article: Stigma Against Patients With Substance Use Disorders Among Health Care Professionals and Trainees and Stigma-Reducing Interventions: A Systematic Review

The Bridge (formerly CA Bridge) https://bridgetotreatment.org

UCSF Warm Line https://nccc.ucsf.edu/clinician-consultation/substance-use-management/

More about Dr. Lasher and the Bus:

• More information on Dr. Lasher's website: https://freeclinic-exchange.org
• A film on Dr. Lasher's work, The Clinic
• Central Valley Physicians Magazine, Spring 2020
• To see images of Dr. Lasher, the bus, and Dr. Larry Park, visit familydocs.org/podcast.

Series Information

The Family Docs Podcast series 1 in 5 is supported by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).

The Family Docs podcast is developed, produced, and recorded by the California Academy of Family Physicians. The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent or the California Academy of Family Physicians. Copyright 2024, California Academy of Family Physicians.

More information at www.familydocs.org/podcast.

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