Nation’s only comprehensive educational event focused on the stimulant crisis will convene virtually in November

MALVERN PA, NOVEMBER 12, 2020–As the nation continues to experience an uptick in the misuse of prescription and illicit stimulants, HMP Global, a leader in healthcare events and education and producer of the annual Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, has announced the third annual Cocaine, Meth & Stimulant Summit will take place virtually from November 20-22, 2020.

This comprehensive meeting is the country’s only educational event providing clinical, law enforcement, and public safety professionals with practical strategies and solutions to address the national stimulant crisis. The Summit will bring together key stakeholders to discuss strategies to prevent illicit stimulant abuse, provide access to treatment, and ensure that stimulants are part of larger societal discussions about addressing drug use. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to engage with an array of accomplished field leaders and industry experts with pervasive knowledge of this ongoing crisis, which continues to be an often underrecognized emergency compounding the opioid epidemic.

Notably, nearly 2.2 million individuals currently use cocaine while 6 million misuse prescription stimulants. Despite these staggering statistics, there are not currently any medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat stimulant use disorder. 

Nora Volkow, MD, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will deliver the Summit’s Keynote Address Friday, November 20 at 4:45 pm EST and discuss the rise of stimulant misuse in the United States. Also slated to speak at the event is Kemp L. Chester, MA, Associate Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) who will present “Coordinating Federal Response to the 21st Century Illicit Drug Marketplace – Stimulants Surge” November 20 at 11:15 am. A timely panel discussion focused on COVID-19 and stimulant use will be held November 21 at 3:15 pm to review the unique challenges treatment providers currently face during the coronavirus pandemic and methods to overcome such obstacles. 

“The growing national stimulant crisis highlights the need for ongoing education and engagement regarding this emergency,” said Doug Edwards, Director, HMP’s Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Learning Network. “As such, the Cocaine, Meth & Stimulant Summit provides a fundamental and extensive educational experience for professionals on the frontlines of this rising epidemic as we collaborate toward solutions and change. Industry leadership and experts will provide crucial, in-depth perspectives to identify practical strategies in a valuable multi-disciplinary approach.”

This year’s Summit features a clinical track as well as a law enforcement/public safety track, catering to the various players involved in fighting this epidemic. Attendees can earn up to 25 CE credits at the Summit. Organizations supporting the conference include the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (SFHIDTA), the National Safety Council, and the National HIDTA Program Emerging Threats Initiative.

For more information, visit stimulantsummit.com. For media inquiries, contact Kelly McCurdy at pr@hmpglobal.com.

ABOUT HMP GLOBAL

HMP Global is the force behind Healthcare Made Practical – and is a multichannel leader in healthcare events and education, with a mission to improve patient care. The company produces accredited medical education events and clinically relevant, evidence-based content for the global healthcare community across a range of therapeutic areas. Its brands include Consultant360, the year-round, award-winning platform relied upon by primary care providers and other specialists; Psych Congress, the largest independent mental health meeting in the U.S.; Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, the largest annual gathering on the opioid crisis; EMS World Expo, North America’s largest EMT and paramedic event; and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. For more information, visit hmpglobal.com.