APA Assembly Acts

May 16-18, 2003
by Nat Sandler, M.D., KPMA Representative to the Assembly

The Assembly was held in San Francisco prior to the APA annual meeting. The good news was that the treasurer reported a net income of $1, 244,000. This is the second year the association has reported a surplus.

Some of the action papers passed included the following:

a. Support for Universal Health Care Access

b. Support for a single form for medication benefit programs

c. Free CME credit as a APA member benefit

d. Support for somatic Cell Nuclear transfer research

e. Support for drug to drug clinical trials

f. Resolution to place Personality Disorders in Axis I

Action papers that failed included:

a. Withdrawal from the World Psychiatric Association

b. To further clarity AMA Ethical Opinion Concerning Examinations of death row inmates

c. Moving mental retardation to Axis I

In other business, The Assembly approved the Practice Guidelines for Treatment and Assessment of Suicidal Patients. A request to join the lawsuit to reverse HIPAA violations of patient privacy and consent was sent to committee.

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