AAAP Symposium To Cover the Latest In OUD Research, Practice

The rise in opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid overdose deaths has shone a light on the need for increased access to evidence-based treatment. During the Presidential Session “Treating Opioid Use Disorder: What Every Psychiatrist Should Know,” a distinguished panel of experts in addiction psychiatry will update Annual Meeting attendees on the latest in research and clinical practice. The session will be presented by members of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) on Monday, May 20.

“It is critical that general psychiatrists are able to provide medication treatment for patients with opioid use disorders. In the context of this epidemic, psychiatrists can play a crucial role as they are the experts in treating co-occurring substance and other psychiatric disorders,” said session chair Shelly F. Greenfield, M.D., M.P.H., president of AAAP. Greenfield is also a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the chief academic officer of McLean Hospital in Massachusetts.

“This symposium will provide psychiatrists with critical information on medication treatment for opioid use disorder, as well as how to use behavioral treatments in conjunction with medication. It will also provide important information on treating co-occurring disorders and reducing suicide risk and will present critical information on women and opioid use disorders,” Greenfield added.

Kevin A. Sevarino, M.D., president-elect of AAAP and an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, will open the session with an overview of the OUD epidemic, its scope, and its epidemiology.

John A. Renner Jr., M.D., immediate past president of AAAP and a professor of psychiatry at Boston University, will then review medication treatment for OUD and describe factors to consider when prescribing each of the three pharmacotherapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration for OUD: methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone, and extended-release naltrexone.

Behavioral approaches to optimizing the outcomes of pharmacotherapy will be the focus of a presentation by Larissa J. Mooney, M.D., the vice president of AAAP, an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at UCLA, and director of the UCLA Addiction Psychiatry Clinic. Mooney will also discuss the treatment of comorbid conditions to improve the overall health of patients with OUD and sustain the gains of OUD treatment. Her presentation will cover the prevalence and assessment of disorders that commonly co-occur with OUD, including other substance use disorders, psychiatric disorders, and chronic pain conditions.

Greenfield will discuss key gender differences in the prevalence and risk factors for OUD. Her presentation will cover how best to tailor treatments for women with OUD, with an emphasis on supporting the needs of pregnant women, postpartum women, and their dependent children.

Richard K. Ries, M.D., an AAAP member and professor of psychiatry and director of the Addictions Division at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Harborview Medical Center, will conclude the session with a review of the role of opioids, alcohol, and other drugs as causes or complications of suicidal conditions. He will also outline safety plans for addiction-related suicide prevention and overdoses. ■