By Raeschell “Shelly” Williams
I was given the amazing opportunity to co-lead a platform presentation with Dr. Alexa Flood at the RX and Illicit Drug Summit (RX Summit) in Nashville. Through the support of the AAPP Ambassador Program, we were able to present to nearly 700 attendees and lead the second-most attended presentation of the conference. With 4 days of programming and 2165 attendees, we are confident that this impressive attendance allowed us to bring great visibility to this important topic and the psychiatric pharmacist's value as a member of the substance use disorder treatment team.
The Ambassador Program provides funding and support for AAPP members to present at interprofessional conferences regarding the integration of BCPPs into practice. These are intended to be introductory sessions that appeal both to audiences who are unaware of BCPPs and to audiences who need more information before adding a BCPP to the team.
Taking the Stage Before Policymakers, First Responders, Healthcare Providers, Law Enforcement, and More
With a broad intended audience it was important to tailor our presentation proposal to those in attendance. The AAPP Professional Affairs Committee was very helpful in reviewing our proposal materials and highlighting where we could expand certain concepts while also focusing on the role of psychiatric pharmacists in different care settings. It was important for us to realize people may have different levels of medical knowledge and thus it was our role to make a difficult topic digestible and give attendees something to take back to their communities.
With our accepted platform presentation, we had the opportunity to teach the attendees about nitazenes and how this re-emerging synthetic opioid is impacting communities throughout the country, while also showcasing the role of psychiatric pharmacists working in substance use programs! Through this presentation we were able to:
- Identify nitazenes in a historical context and explore their re-emergence as a newer drug threat compared to other opioids.
- Analyze risks of nitazene use to include acute effects and long-term risks.
- Explore potential non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic treatment options to manage nitazene use and withdrawal, including harm reduction measures, safe injection practices, naloxone education, and medications for opioid use disorder.
- Discuss the role of psychiatric pharmacists in substance use disorder care and explore the benefits of adding a psychiatric pharmacist to the care team.
What We Gained
Obtaining funding through the Ambassador Program provided us an opportunity to co-present with each other as AAPP colleagues. We were able to engage in discussions on the use of high-dose naloxone for nitazene overdose, drug screen testing for nitazenes, laboratory monitoring difficulties with this new drug class, and address law enforcement and first responder concerns for patients presenting with withdrawal symptoms.
We were also able to participate in other sessions and learn from RX Summit thought leaders, some of whom have been in the field for over 15 years! There were several presentations about newer illicit substances including medetomidine, kratom, and psychedelics. There were also presentations on laughter as the best medicine for those in recovery, providing support to family members to strengthen the “recovery unit”, and the difficulty in distinguishing counterfeit pills from prescription medications. Recommending potential topics to AAPP’s programming committee was also a side-benefit of our attendance at RX Summit. Some high priority topics that stood out include:
- Medetomidine – Xylazine’s Nastier Cousin
- Other Gas Station Drugs – Kratom, Cannabinoids, Psychedelics, Synthetic Benzodiazepines, Tianeptine
- Motivational interviewing when abstinence is not the goal
Apply for the AAPP Ambassador Program Funding for 2027 RX Summit
I encourage you to submit a program proposal for the next RX Summit meeting in Nashville, Tennessee at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, March 29-April 1, 2027. AAPP will be seeking proposals starting in June. The format of RX Summit programs involves faculty presentations for 60 minutes followed by 15 minutes of questions from the audience. Including information regarding how the session would be applicable to the many varied stakeholders will strengthen the application.
We thoroughly enjoyed our experience as ambassadors and encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities as they present themselves throughout the year.
