A growing body of research suggests that the use of psychedelic compounds combined with behavioral interventions may provide powerful treatment options for a range of addictions including alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, tobacco use disorder and others. Earlier this month, we convened a symposium on Novel Therapeutics in Addiction Psychiatry to explore how we can contribute to this emerging space.
Over 130 researchers, clinicians, community members, donors and people with lived experience attended the hybrid event organized by Nathan Sackett, MD, MS, Andie Uomoto, MPA, and Becky Sladek, MS. Breakout session included topics on specific treatment formats, ketamine, alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, education and training, preclinical studies, and a review of the legal landscape regarding the use of psychedelic drugs. Faculty members Jonathan Buchholz, MD, John Neumaier, MD, PhD, Kevin Hallgren, PhD, Rick Ries, MD, FAPA, FASM, and Andrew Saxon, MD, moderated several breakout sessions in which participants identified high-impact projects that could move the field forward in a relatively short amount of time and draw upon the existing knowledge-base in the community.