The 2026 annual meeting of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is set for late April in San Diego, California. From April 23 through April 26, the 57th ASAM Annual Conference is the year’s defining event for addiction medicine where healthcare professionals from around the world meet to discuss the latest research and network with peers. 

Today’s preview of the 2026 ASAM Annual Conference features a curated selection of key sessions from the event’s four-day schedule. Some descriptions were edited for clarity and brevity. For the most up-to-date information regarding times and dates, visit the annual meeting’s official schedule.

Thursday, April 23

Benzodiazepine Tapering Decisions: Basic Principles through Complex Management

  • 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
  • Description: Separate registration is required for this pre-conference course. Throughout the day, topics of discussion include overcoming patient resistance, minimizing withdrawal, tapering guidance, psychiatric comorbidities, co-occurring substance use disorders, and more.

Improving Care for Women with Substance Use Disorders: From Evidence to Action

  • 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
  • Description: Separate registration is required for this pre-conference course. Throughout the day, topics of discussion include trauma-responsive care, pregnancy and breastfeeding, co-occurring psychiatric conditions, adolescents and addiction, older women and addiction, and more. 
Friday, April 24

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Addiction Medicine

  • 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Description: This session offers clinicians actionable insights to harness technology without compromising human connection. Attendees will learn practical strategies to integrate AI safely, ethically, and equitably into clinical care.

Effectiveness of Extended-Release Buprenorphine in OUD: Results from NIDA CTN Studies

  • 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Description: Presentations from two large, HEAL-funded, NIDA CTN multi-site trials: 1) The Medication Treatment for Opioid-dependent Expecting Mothers (MOMs) Trial showed that participants who received extended-release buprenorphine had significantly higher illicit opioid abstinence during pregnancy and was non-inferior postpartum. 2) The Emergency Department-INitiated bupreNOrphine and VAlidaTIOn Network Trial (ED-INNOVATION) study showed successful implementation of extended release (XR)-BUP in ED patients with untreated OUD; and that it was superior to sublingual (SL) BUP in linkage to care post-ED induction.

Implementing Hospital and ED SUD Care: Transitioning ASAM Guidance into Action

  • 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Description: This interactive workshop will share practical models, strategies, and tools from ASAM’s new implementation guide to support evidence-based care in hospital/ED settings. Participants will engage in case-based learning and small group discussions to identify solutions for overcoming barriers such as stigma, financing, and workforce limitations.

Perinatal Alcohol Use Disorder: Management Considerations Across the Care Continuum

  • 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Description: This session [...] will be structured as a workshop to allow active audience engagement, small group discussion, simulation based and case-based learning centered on addressing alcohol use in pregnancy and postpartum, anchored in evidence-based and practice-informed guidelines pertaining to the management of alcohol use disorder in perinatal populations.

Pharmacologic Innovations in Alpha-2 Agonist Withdrawal Management in EDs and ICUs

  • 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Description: Join a multidisciplinary panel of experts in emergency medicine, toxicology, addiction medicine and pharmacologists as they explore the evolving landscape of illicit drug adulteration—focusing on the emergence of medetomidine in the fentanyl supply. This session will highlight clinical challenges in diagnosing and managing acute toxicity and withdrawal, with insights into its growing impact on healthcare systems and substance use treatment infrastructure.

Advanced Management of Alcohol Withdrawal: Case-Based, Evidence-Informed Solutions

  • 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
  • Description: Managing severe and resistant alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) requires rapid decision-making, nuanced clinical judgment, and coordinated care across multiple disciplines. This advanced, case-based session prepares clinicians to assess and treat complex AWS presentations using validated tools and current treatment guidelines.

Collaborative Care for OUD with Co-Occurring Mental Disorders in Safety-Net Primary Care

  • 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
  • Description: This focus session will describe the implementation, patient and provider experiences, and patient outcomes of a clinical trial of collaborative care for patients with opioid use disorders co-occurring with mental disorders in primary care safety-net settings.

Unusual Clues: Hidden Presentations of Substance Use Disorders Across Clinical Disciplines

  • 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
  • Description: This fast-paced interactive session uses clinical vignettes and images to challenge clinicians to identify overlooked signs of substance use, including the uncertainties inherent to assessing adolescent substance use, dermatologic manifestations of SUDs in people of color, and consequential nutritional deficits occurring in alcohol use disorder.

Clinical Insights on Emerging Misuse of Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs

  • 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
  • Description: This interactive workshop explores the expanding use of Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs (PIEDs)—from peptides and testosterone to GLP-1 agonists—across athletic, wellness, and anti-aging settings. Participants will review pharmacologic mechanisms, psychosocial drivers, and addiction parallels, applying DEI principles to understand gender, cultural, and socioeconomic influences on access and stigma.

Critical Care Addiction Medicine: Considerations for Buprenorphine in Intubated Patients

  • 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
  • Description: Addiction medicine consult services may be consulted to assist in the management of critically ill patients with opioid use disorder  who are intubated in the intensive care unit. There are no clear guidelines for how or when to best initiate buprenorphine in intubated patients.

Updates on HCV Eliminations in the US

  • 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
  • Description: Despite significant progress in hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment, new infections continue to outpace cures, with more than 2.4 million people still living with HCV in the U.S. This 90-minute symposium explores the latest data, evolving guidelines, and innovative strategies driving the nation toward HCV elimination.
Saturday, April 25

Addiction Medicine and the Law: Navigating Common Problems in Practice

  • 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Description: Healthcare practitioners commonly encounter many legal and regulatory issues in Addiction Medicine practice. The panel members have expertise in navigating these common issues and will go over several cases to demonstrate ways to successfully navigate legal and regulatory aspects of Addiction Medicine practice. Cases will include: confidentiality, drug testing, impaired driving, medical necessity, disability, and more.

Expanding Telehealth to Optimize Buprenorphine Access and Mitigate Rural Treatment Barriers

  • 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Description: This interactive session features a panel of clinicians, navigators, and program leaders sharing real-world strategies, lessons learned, and implementation tools to improve equity and retention in medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) care. Breakout discussions will help participants tailor solutions to their own settings and populations.

High Risk at Every Stage: Cannabis Exposure During Critical Periods of Development

  • 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Description: Cannabis exposure during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence can have lasting effects on health and development. This session will explore the effects of cannabis exposure during these critical developmental periods. Participants will also learn to apply evidence-based strategies for prevention, counseling, and harm reduction.

When AUD Isn’t the Only Diagnosis: Navigating Co-Occurring Psychiatric Conditions

  • 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Description: Managing alcohol use disorder (AUD) in patients with co-occurring psychiatric conditions, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and PTSD, is common and clinically complex. This session uses a patient case to bridge theory and practice, equipping addiction medicine clinicians with practical strategies for effective care.

Bridging Gaps: Clinical and Ethical Challenges for Patients with Addiction and Cancer

  • 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
  • Description: Participants in this interactive session will explore cases at the challenging intersection of addiction, pain, and cancer. Clinicians boarded in addiction and palliative medicine guide participants through clinical tools and scenarios that: prioritize options for managing concurrent addiction and cancer pain, approach a differential and treatment options for chronic cancer pain and prescription OUD versus OUD, and consider ethical responsibilities in addiction and cancer treatment when patient autonomy conflicts with clinical care in the ‘best interest’ of the patient.

Envisioning a Continuum of Care for Behavioral Addictions

  • 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
  • Description: Explore the first-ever integration of behavioral addictions into the ASAM Criteria and the challenges the editorial team has faced in defining, assessing, and treating these conditions. This session combines expert insights, panel discussion, and audience Q&A to give attendees a behind-the-scenes look at this groundbreaking work and practical takeaways for clinical practice.

Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder in Patients with Liver Disease

  • 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
  • Description: This session provides practical, evidence-based guidance for treating Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in patients with liver disease across inpatient, outpatient, and transplant settings. Participants will gain tools to navigate treatment decisions, improve clinical outcomes, and support equitable care.

Beyond Withdrawal: Optimizing Pain in the Opioid Tolerant Patient

  • 4:45 PM – 6:00 PM
  • Description: This session equips addiction medicine clinicians with practical strategies to manage both pain and withdrawal in patients with severe opioid tolerance. Through a blend of didactic teaching and interactive case discussions, participants will explore basal-bolus opioid approaches, PCA use, the roles of methadone and buprenorphine, and multimodal non-opioid therapies.

Let's Practice: Vaping Cessation Strategies for Youth

  • 4:45 PM – 6:00 PM
  • Description: Nicotine vaping is a widespread issue among youth worldwide, with many trying to quit this addiction. This case-based simulation workshop will offer an opportunity to outline evidence-informed vaping cessation strategies for youth and discuss a developmentally appropriate approach to providing guidance for diverse youth (and from youth) with varying levels of complexity.

The Healthcare Professional’s Core Resource on Alcohol: Improving Alcohol-Related Care

  • 4:45 PM – 6:00 PM
  • Description: This session will provide an overview of NIAAA's Healthcare Professional's Core Resource on Alcohol with specific focus on several topics within addiction medicine, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, integrated care for alcohol-associated liver disease, and alcohol-focused content that is a high priority for inclusion within medical school curricula. 
Sunday, April 26

Addressing Substance Use Disorders in Transplant Candidates and Recipients

  • 8:30 AM – 9:45 AM
  • Description: This advanced, case-based workshop explores the evaluation and management of substance use disorders in transplant candidates and recipients, with a focus on real-world clinical challenges. Through multidisciplinary discussion, participants will consider approaches to alcohol, opioid, tobacco, and cannabis use in the peri- and post-transplant settings.

Blueprints for an Inpatient Addiction Consult Service at Pediatric Institutions

  • 8:30 AM – 9:45 AM
  • Description: This session offers a practical framework for developing pediatric hospital-based addiction services, with real-world lessons on implementation, culture change, and strategies to address developmental, legal, operational, and confidentiality complexities.

Innovative Strategies for Medication Initiation in Opioid Use Disorder

  • 8:30 AM – 9:45 AM
  • Description: [This session focuses] on cutting-edge strategies for initiating buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone across a variety of clinical scenarios in outpatient, hospital, and emergency care settings.

Behavior Change Tools for Prescribers Treating Alcohol Use Disorder

  • 10:15 AM – 11:30 AM
  • Description: This interactive workshop introduces prescribers to practical, evidence-based strategies that help patients initiate and stay engaged in alcohol use disorder treatment. These simple, actionable templates are designed for prescribers without behavioral health specialization who want effective ways to support recovery and improve treatment outcomes.

Gas Station Highs

  • 10:15 AM – 11:30 AM
  • Description: “Gas station” and internet drugs such as tianeptine, phenibut, kratom, and alkyl nitrites exist in a lax regulatory environment that permits easy access, leading to increased emergency presentations for intoxication, withdrawal, and unique harms. In this session, toxicology, emergency medicine, and addiction experts use case vignettes to teach rapid toxidrome recognition, practical management, and effective discharge counseling grounded in current FDA and CDC alerts and recalls.

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