AMJC Poster SessionAMJC Poster Session
Addiction Medicine Journal Club
Our favorite scientific posters from ASAM2026.
1:03:45•15 Jun 2026
Poster Power: Fresh Addiction Research You Can Use Tomorrow
Episode Overview
- A co-located withdrawal unit and bridge clinic using long-acting buprenorphine injections was associated with a drop in 30-day readmissions from 19.6% to 6.8%.
- Claims data suggested that higher buprenorphine doses up to 32 mg were linked with better adherence, longer retention in care and lower overdose risk than lower doses.
- A case report described naltrexone (25–100 mg) reducing compulsive AI chatbot use in an autistic teenager with ADHD from hours per day to losing interest within minutes.
- Quality improvement work in primary care showed that linking naltrexone to obesity treatment protocols tripled prescriptions for alcohol use and increased high-volume prescribers.
- Multi-centre review found buprenorphine-precipitated withdrawal in about 13% of hospital starts, with higher first doses (8 mg or more) associated with more events.
“I usually say to patients, I'd like you on the lowest dose of buprenorphine on which your life goes well.”
How do different strategies aid in addiction recovery? This research-heavy yet very human episode lines up some of the standout posters from the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s 2026 meeting and turns them into practical talking points for everyday clinical work. Addiction doctors and trainees will feel right at home as Dr. John Keenan and Dr. Sonia Beltradeci chat with guest Dr. Anthony Accurso about real-world data, messy systems issues, and the quirks of patients’ lives.
Another poster shows that higher buprenorphine doses (up to 32 mg) are linked to better adherence, longer retention and lower overdose risk, prompting one clinician to say they aim for “the lowest dose of buprenorphine on which your life goes well.” Things get wonderfully odd with a case of AI chatbot addiction in a teenager, where naltrexone up to 100 mg reduced compulsive use from hours to “getting bored in five minutes.” From there, they move into system fixes: telehealth methadone OTP enrolment from inpatient wards, a Kaiser QI project that tripled primary care naltrexone prescribing by linking it to obesity treatment, and data showing nicotine dependence plus substance use disorder drives higher medical comorbidity and mortality than either alone.
The vibe is journal club meets coffee break: lots of stats, but also jokes about science fairs, committee meetings and residents using AI for homework. Dr. Accurso kicks things off with his prize-winning poster on a co-located withdrawal unit and bridge clinic where long-acting buprenorphine injections cut 30‑day readmissions from 19.6% to 6.8%.
They wrap with a multicentre look at buprenorphine-precipitated withdrawal, finding about a 13% rate and more events with higher first doses, leading to a rich discussion of low‑dose starts, macro-dosing, and hospital-only tricks like buccal buprenorphine. If you’re a clinician short on time but keen to keep your practice sharp, this round-up offers ready-to-use findings and plenty of candid “how we actually do it” commentary. Which of these posters might change how you treat your next patient?
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