Kentucky Opioid Symposium will be held Oct. 9-10 in Lexington

By Heather Close Published September 11, 2023 DRUGS, EVENTS, FEATURED, HEALTH BUSINESS, HEALTH POLICY, YOUR HEALTH

Kentucky Health News

The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission will host what it calls its inaugural opioid symposium Oct. 9 and 10 in Lexington.

The two-day conference will feature presentations and workshops by experts in their respective fields “to foster increased awareness of the impact of the opioid epidemic and to bolster a collaborative approach to combatting this scourge,” says a news release from the commission.

“Special rate” tickets are available for $99 until Monday, Sept. 11 for the symposium and the welcome reception, according to the event website. After that date, the cost of the combined ticket increases to $135, with sales ending Oct. 1.

Purchased separately, a ticket to the Oct. 8 welcome reception at Marriott Griffin Gate Resort is $50 and the cost for a ticket to the symposium is $100, with sales ending Oct. 1.

The symposium will be held at the Central Bank Center, 430 W. Vine St. To register for earlybird tickets visit kentuckyopioidsymposium.com.

The site says, “You can purchase tickets for individual events, or purchase a package for all events.”

The agenda addresses s a number of opioid-related topics from the perspectives of prevention and treatment and recovery and reform. U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers will be a speaker, and the keynote speaker will be Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland and The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth. Click here to see the full agenda and here for a list of the presenters.

The symposium’s presenting sponsor is the Kentucky Association of Health Plans, the trade association representing commercial insurers and Medicaid managed care organizations.

“KAHP is honored to help the Opioid Advisory Commission with convening this important gathering,” Tom Stephens, president and CEO of KAHP, said in a news release. “Managed care organizations continue to show their commitment to fighting the opioid scourge through awareness campaigns, incentivizing alternative therapies, providing Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT), encouraging strong peer supports, and focusing on areas like expungement assistance and recovery housing.”

The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Commission was created by the General Assembly to distribute the state’s portion of the more than $842 million in opioid-settlement money. The funds come from opioid manufacturers and distributors, half of which goes to the state and the other half goes to cities and counties. The commission is housed in Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s office.