The 56th annual conference of the American Society of Addiction Medicine ran from April 24 through April 27 in Aurora, Colorado. The conference showcased the latest innovations and research in addiction medicine. Over 2,500 healthcare professionals attended the event.
The four-day conference allowed attendees to analyze fresh research findings from their peers, compare guidelines to identify areas for improvement based on the latest findings, and continue to develop the resources needed to help patients living with addiction.
With over sixty sessions and more than 100 posters, there was a lot to take in. Here is a rundown of the award-winning posters from the event.
Underserved Population Award Winner: Intimate Partner Violence Support in Perinatal Substance Use: Patient and Provider Insights
Description: Perinatal women with substance use disorders have a notable association with intimate partner violence (IPV) linked with mental health disorders. The study strived to better understand the ideal IPV support systems needed for perinatal women in recovery.
Conclusion: The study found that privacy and autonomy were key in navigating and addressing IPV in recovery. IPV training and IPV patient advocacy should be considered integral to the recovery process, when appropriate.
Students Award Winner: Determinants of Increased Travel Burden for Patients Treated with Buprenorphine
Description: Rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged patients have lower success rates with maintaining buprenorphine therapy. Additionally, pharmacies’ limited stock impedes success rates further.
Conclusion: Black patients were disproportionately affected by the travel burden changes observed in the study, with a high percentage of patients switching pharmacies post-initiation of therapy indicating barriers to access that should be researched further to study social determinants' influence on OUD treatment.
Resident Award Winner: Quetiapine, A Novel Additive to the Illicit Heroin Supply in Los Angeles
Description: The study investigated the use of quetiapine as an additive to the illicit heroin supply in the Los Angeles area, as collected by community-based drug checkers.
Conclusion: The study found that fentanyl, methamphetamine, and xylazine were found less in heroin that was augmented with quetiapine, possibly indicating quetiapine inclusion as a less risky adulterant, as there was no noted evidence that quetiapine consumption increased opioid overdose.
Explore Our Free ASAM Pocket Guides:
Appropriate Use of Drug Testing in Clinical Addiction Medicine
National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder
Alcohol Withdrawal Management
Management of Stimulant Use Disorder
Benzodiazepine Tapering
Representation in Research Award Winner: Advancing the Evidence on Emergency Department and Hospital Linkage to Methadone Treatment
Description: The study looked at emergency departments’ role as a touchpoint for people seeking opioid use disorder treatment, via methadone treatment. The goal was to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of shifting to outpatient methadone treatment directly from acute care hospitals.
Conclusion: Over half (58%) of patients directly referred to outpatient methadone treatment managed to rapidly initiate treatment or resume their treatment. Due to patient popularity, this pathway could be key to broadening treatment success, albeit some barriers remain, such as housing and transportation challenges.
Fellow in Training Award Winner: Elevating Patient Voices: Substance Use Care, Recovery Support, & Overdose Prevention
Description: Factors that influence solitary drug use increase the chances of a fatal overdose. Various factors (lack of desire to share, shame, stigma, or habit) were noted as causes of solitary drug use.
Conclusion: Patients need access to overdose prevention tools that don’t require other individuals to administer. Options allow patients to select the tool that will work best for them and that they’re likelier to use.
Best Overall Award Winner: Racial Disparities in Urine Toxicology Screening for Labor and Delivery Admissions
Description: Urine toxicology screening (UTS) helps identify perinatal substance use, but with unclear guidance, systemic bias rather than clinical need is a large concern.
Conclusion: Standardized, evidence-based UTS protocols are crucial to guarantee equitable practice.
Associated Professional Award Winner: Harm Reduction Vending Machines Increase Equitable Access to Naloxone and Health Supplies
Description: Harm reduction vending machines (HRVM) provide people who use drugs (PWUD) with access to life-saving tools. However, the effectiveness of HRVM and what populations of PWUD use them remained largely unstudied.
Conclusion: Non-minoritized participants were more likely to dispense naloxone than minoritized participants. There was not a notable difference in gender regarding HRVM use. Nor was there a notable difference in use between high- and low-risk participants.
Visit the ASAM annual conference website for a complete listing of posters from the event.
Sign up for alerts to stay informed on the latest published guidelines and more conference recaps.
Copyright © 2025 Guideline Central, all rights reserved.