Funded Pilot

Is it possible that the widespread prescribing of excessive amounts of opioids for C-section and knee arthroscopy patients is responsible for producing a significant number of opioid dependencies? That question is the subject of Perelman School of Medicine postdoctoral researcher Benjamin Ukert‘s (above, left) new pilot project funded by the Center for Health Economics of Treatment Interventions for […]

In collaboration with colleagues at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Dr. Czarina Behrends (above, right) will assess naloxone distribution patterns, outcomes and required resources in New York City. She will use these data to develop a model for optimal allocation of those resources in order to prevent overdoses. Her project will […]

The danger of that first prescription “Just in case,” the oral surgeon said, as he prescribed the opioid hydrocodone for my 17-year-old son, who just had his wisdom teeth out. “But you might try Motrin first,” he added. Not knowing what the next hours, or days, would bring, we filled the prescription for 20 pills. […]

Pilot grant awardee Dr. Karen Lasser and her team have developed an intervention to screen, link and treat patients with hepatitis C (HCV) in the primary care setting. As the founding medical director for HCV treatment in primary care, Dr. Lasser was motivated to do a budget impact analysis of their intervention to analyze whether the […]

Pilot grant awardee Dr. Yuhua Bao was invited to present her recent publication, “Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Are Associated with Sustained Reductions in Opioid Prescribing by Physicians,” at the Health Affairs Issue Briefing on Behavioral Health in Washington, D.C on June 7, 2016. Dr. Bao’s presentation centered on her publication in the June 2017 issue of Health Affairs and is […]

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued new regulations for electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) including vaporizers and e-cigarettes. The regulations will raise the purchasing age of ENDS to 18 years to align with cigarettes, require all ENDS manufacturers to submit chemical and manufacturing information for FDA review, which will result in new […]

Kit Delgado, MD, MS Dr. Delgado’s pilot grant will assess physician-level variability in opioid drug prescribing practices for six specific diagnoses across multiple specialties. Dr. Delgrado will use the Optum Cliniformatics DataMart national private insurance claims database to estimate excess prescription opioids prescribed by state and nationally, and calculate the resulting excess cost to the […]

Karen Lasser, MD, MPH Dr. Lasser’s pilot grant proposes to evaluate economic and health outcomes for a primary care-based HCV treatment program in a patient-centered medical home. The treatment model is based on the chronic care model including a multidisciplinary team with physician, nursing, social worker, pharmacy technician and pharmacist. The team works together to […]