Annual national gathering is the only one of its kind, bringing thousands of stakeholders together from ‘federal to family’ to fight the U.S. addiction and overdose crises, with a program focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery.

MALVERN Pa., (March 22, 2023) — As xylazine-related overdose deaths become increasingly prevalent, accounting for as many as 25% of all overdoses in some states and as communities throughout the country continue to fight the wave of drug misuse cases, stakeholders will gather for the 2023 Rx and Illicit Drug Summit, the largest annual gathering focused on best practices for drug misuse prevention, treatment and recovery.

Organized by the leading healthcare events and education company HMP Global, the 12th annual Rx Summit will be held April 10-13 at the Georgia World Conference Center in Atlanta. The four-day, in-person event will address a rapidly changing addiction and enforcement landscape, with expert-led sessions that incorporate evolving data and trends with the most up-to-date information possible.

“More than one million lives have been lost since the start of the opioid epidemic, and it is urgent that we work together to stem the tide of addiction, cultivate change, and create solutions,” said Nancy Hale, President and CEO of Operation UNITE (Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment, and Education, Inc.), educational advisor for Rx Summit. “The work done at Rx Summit since it began in 2012 has never been more important as it is this year, when overdoses are occurring at record rates. Our nation needs healing and Rx Summit is where it all begins.”

The 2023 educational agenda includes a diverse array of session topics along nine learning tracks: Clinical, Prevention – Overdose, Prevention – Primary, Public Safety, Advocacy, Treatment & Recovery, Technology, Trending Topics, and Illicit Drugs. Sessions on trending topics include:

• “Nonprescription Naloxone: Update and Implications”
  4:15 – 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 11
  FDA approval of nonprescription naloxone will have numerous implications on consumers and policymakers, including whether consumers will be able to rely on third-party payment options, such as Medicaid or private health insurance, when purchasing nonprescription naloxone. Uncertainties also exist about the interplay between nonprescription naloxone and current state laws on standing orders, co-prescription requirements, and layperson administration.
   
• “Xylazine in the Illicit Drug Supply: Making Overdoses Worse and More Difficult to Manage”
  8 – 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, April 11
  Across the U.S. xylazine (“tranq”) is emerging as a new adulterant in illicit drugs like heroin/fentanyl (“tranq-dope”), cocaine, and methamphetamine. Overdose deaths involving xylazine have been reported in 25 states with 67% occurring in the Northeast U.S. The session will focus on potential solutions that communities can implement to address xylazine-involved overdoses.
   
• “After the X-Waiver: Ensuring Access and Quality Care for Opioid Addiction Treatment”
  4:15 – 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 11
  This session will provide a real-time update on the elimination of the requirement to obtain a waiver (DATA waiver or X-waiver) to prescribe buprenorphine in office-based settings for the treatment of opioid use disorder (i.e., MATE Act). This session will place the removal of the DATA waiver in the context of other provider, health system, and patient barriers and opportunities to expand access to buprenorphine-based treatment. This session will also include information about resources and action being taken at the federal level to support treatment expansion.
   
• “Plenary Session: Predictive Analytics Panel Discussion”
  9:30 – 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 12
  Hear from a joint panel of law enforcement, public health, information technology, and related fields on how “predictive analytics” and artificial intelligence are being used to identify areas of high drug use, intervene before overdoses occur, and improve patient outcomes.
   

The 2023 Rx Summit features a dynamic slate of legislators, policymakers, and leaders offering perspective on this crisis. Participants will hear from:
 

• Hal Rogers
  U.S. Congressman, Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District
• David Trone
  U.S. Congressman, Maryland’s 6th Congressional District
• Denis R. McDonough
  Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Miriam Delphin-Rittmon
  Assistant Secretary, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
• Anne Milgram
  Administrator, U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration
• Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, MBA, FACP
  Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
• Robert Califf, MD, MACC
  Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration
• Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH
  Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S, Ph.D.
  Director, National Institutes of Health
• Nora Volkow, MD
  Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse
• George Koob, Ph.D.
  Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
• Monty Burks, PhD, MCJ, CPRS
  Director of Faith-Based Initiatives, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
• Yngvild Olsen, MD, MPH
  Director, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Notable speakers in past years have included President Joe Biden in 2022 and 2021, President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in 2019, President Bill Clinton in 2018, and President Barack Obama in 2016.

“Stemming the tide of addiction and overdose deaths is more critical now than ever before,” said Doug Edwards, Senior Vice President, HMP Education, a subsidiary of HMP Global. “It is an issue that impacts every community of every state in the U.S., and it is imperative that we work together at all levels to develop strategies that will prevent this crisis from worsening. At Rx Summit, we bring together the nation’s leading experts on this issue as well as the change-makers who will share successful strategies that can be replicated in other communities.”

Rx Summit is the largest national collaboration of professionals from local, state, and federal agencies, business, academia, treatment providers, and allied communities impacted by prescription drug misuse and illicit drug use. It is the leading event for decision-makers and allied professionals working to address this public health emergency. Participants and attendees include counselors, social workers, therapists, psychologists, and interventionists; physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists; advocates, families, and people in recovery; law enforcement and other first responders; and public health and prevention professionals.

To ensure that attendees can access all sessions, the Rx Summit is offering the Maximum Access Package which includes on-demand access to session recordings, post-event for three months. With this package, attendees can virtually attend nearly every session taking place at the Rx Summit and replay the recordings as many times as they like.

For the agenda, sponsorship information or to register, visit rx-summit.com. Rates (including the Maximum Access Package) are available here.

To apply for press access, visit rx-summit.com/press-center.

ABOUT HMP GLOBAL   

HMP Global is the force behind Healthcare Made Practical — and is an omnichannel leader in healthcare content, events, and education, with a mission to improve patient care. The company produces accredited medical education events — in person and online via its proprietary VRTX virtual platform — and clinically relevant, evidence-based content for the global healthcare community across a range of therapeutic areas. Its brands include the HMP Global Learning Network, healthcare's most comprehensive source for news and information; Psych Congress, the largest independent mental health meeting in the U.S.; the Evolution of Psychotherapy, the world’s largest independent educational event for mental health professionals; the Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC), the leading, global gathering for interdisciplinary cardiovascular specialists; EMS World Expo, North America's largest EMT and paramedic event; and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. For more information, visit hmpglobal.com.