Physicians Convene National Rx and Illicit Drug Summit to Combat Opioid Crisis
More than 2,500 physicians and addiction professionals convened April 1-4, 2024, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for the 13th annual Rx and Illicit Drug Summit. According to organizers, the event aimed to advance multidisciplinary strategies in prevention, treatment, and law enforcement to address the ongoing opioid and addiction crisis.
The event brought together approximately 2,500 physicians, addiction professionals, and advocates representing most U.S. states to advance multidisciplinary strategies in prevention, treatment, and law enforcement, according to Operation UNITE, one of the summit’s supporting organizations.
The 13th annual Rx and Illicit Drug Summit featured more than 95 educational sessions and offered over 110 hours of continuing medical education and continuing education credits, organizers said.
The summit emphasized collaboration across six key tracks: clinical care, public safety, prevention, recovery support, advocacy, and illicit drugs, officials said. Sessions covered topics including border security measures to combat drug trafficking, effective use of opioid litigation settlement funds for community recovery, harm reduction strategies such as fentanyl test strips and overdose prevention centers, and youth engagement through social media for substance use prevention. The American Medical Association (AMA) highlighted the importance of physician-led, team-based, community-centered care in addressing the evolving substance use and overdose epidemic, according to AMA statements released during the event.
Federal and state officials joined nationally recognized experts in policy-aware discussions, drawing participants from medicine, pharmacy, public health, and policymaking fields. The summit served as a platform for sharing evidence-based approaches and replicable strategies grounded in data, organizers said. The AMA also advocated expanding access to buprenorphine and methadone, citing barriers such as stigma, regulatory restrictions, and insurance coverage gaps. Additionally, the AMA pushed for greater availability of affordable, over-the-counter naloxone in emergency departments and communities to reduce overdose deaths.
The opioid crisis remains a significant public health challenge, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating 73,000 overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending August 2025. More than one million lives have been lost since the epidemic began, with synthetic opioids driving record rates of overdose and death, according to CDC data and summit reports. While recent declines in overall overdose death rates have been noted, officials emphasized that the epidemic continues to affect millions nationwide.
Looking ahead, the 14th annual Rx and Illicit Drug Summit is scheduled for April 6-9, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. Organizers expect to attract more than 2,500 participants from all 50 states. The upcoming event will focus on addressing ongoing challenges such as funding uncertainty for addiction treatment and persistent overdose risks, with session selections emphasizing proven effectiveness and replicable interventions. Both in-person and on-demand registration options will be available, according to summit materials.
Since its inception more than 15 years ago, the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit has become the largest and most influential collaboration of professionals and advocates confronting the opioid and addiction crisis, according to Operation UNITE and summit organizers. The event continues to unite stakeholders from federal agencies to families affected by addiction, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration and actionable solutions aimed at reducing the impact of substance use disorders nationwide.
