OPTIC
A National Resource for Opioid Policy Science
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Note from the Co-Director
Welcome to OPTIC's second year! We're excited about recent policy assessments and publications involving OPTIC researchers, on topics spanning naloxone administration, the rapid emergence of fentanyl, opioid use among LGB populations, and barriers to buprenorphine treatment. We will be presenting on these and other topics at upcoming events (see below). These meetings also provide the opportunity to attend upcoming workshops describing new OPTIC tools and methods, such as the measurement of interrelated prescription opioid and heroin markets, that may be useful to others conducting opioid policy research.
This year we will also launch three pilot projects. These nurture novel research ideas in their embryonic stage from early-career investigators on topics aligned with the Center's mission. Selected pilot projects are:
- Leveraging Local YRBS data to assess adolescent opioid use in U.S. urban areas, Renee M. Johnson, Johns Hopkins University
- The broad consequences of opioid prescribing limits in West Virginia, Lindsay Allen, West Virginia University
- The impact of pill mill regulations in Texas on opioid-related outcomes, Sarah Axeen, University of Southern California
More information about the pilot projects will be available soon on the OPTIC website. We welcome your feedback on our efforts at OPTIC@rand.org. – Rosalie Liccardo Pacula
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Recent Products from OPTIC Researchers
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Photo by JosuOzkaritz/Getty Images
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Prescribing buprenorphine in an outpatient setting can address unmet need for treatment, but the number of prescribers is limited. Patients may face other barriers, including the time and energy needed to find a prescriber accepting new patients, getting quick access to buprenorphine, and high costs.
Read more »
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Photo by deng qiufeng/Getty Images
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The breadth of the opioid crisis requires aligning the public health system, hospitals, and the nation's child welfare system. Federal legislation has enabled the system to be more responsive to the unique needs of families affected by the opioid crisis, but more progress and funding are needed.
Read more »
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Photo by simonkr/Getty Images
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Administration of naloxone by emergency medical services personnel is increasing faster than opioid-related deaths. That's good news. But EMS administration must complement other efforts already in place, e.g. allowing pharmacists to prescribe naloxone and community-based naloxone distribution programs.
Read more »
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Photo by BalkansCat
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Opioid misuse is high among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. Bisexual women are particularly at-risk. Lower perceived risk of and greater access to heroin among LGB women may play a role in their opioid misuse, putting them at higher risk for overdose.
Read more »
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Photo by Andrew Kelly/Reuters
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To understand the evolution and concentration of overdose fatalities nationwide, researchers examined state-level mortality data across several drug classes. They also analyzed drug seizures of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs across states and over time to determine the overlap between supply-side indicators and state-level mortality data.
Read more »
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Image by serge01/Adobe Stock
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Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids dominate some regional drug markets in Canada and the eastern U.S. Factors explaining its spread include online dissemination of more-efficient synthesis methods, anonymous e-commerce, detection challenges, and poor regulation in China. New ways to combat the current crisis are urgently needed.
Read more »
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Parental substance use is associated with at least
1/2
of infant placements in U.S. foster care.
(RAND Corporation)
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National Perspectives
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A national sampling of thought-provoking research and insights
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Innovative Solutions for State Medicaid Programs to Leverage Their Data, Build Their Analytic Capacity, and Create Evidence-Based Policy - Adams, L., Kennedy, S., Allen, L., Barnes, A., Bias, T., Crane, D., Lanier, P., Mauk, R., Mohamoud, S., Pauly, N., Talbert, J., Woodcock, C., Zivin, K., Donohue, J.. EGEMS
A predictive risk model for nonfatal opioid overdose in a statewide population of buprenorphine patients - Chang, H. Y., Krawczyk, N., Schneider, K. E., Ferris, L., Eisenberg, M., Richards, T. M., Lyons, B. C., Jackson, K., Weiner, J. P., Saloner, B. Drug Alcohol Depend
State Variation in Medicaid Prescriptions for Opioid Use Disorder from 2011 to 2018 - Clemans-Cope, L., Lynch, V., Winiski, E., & Epstein, M. Urban Institute.
Law Enforcement Efforts to Fight the Opioid Crisis: Convening Police Leaders, Multidisciplinary Partners, and Researchers to Identify Promising Practices and to Inform a Research Agenda - Goodison, S.E., Vermeer, M.J.D., Barnum, J.D., Woods, D., & Jackson, B.A. RAND Corporation
Association of Criminal Statutes for Opioid Use Disorder With Prevalence and Treatment Among Pregnant Women With Commercial Insurance in the United States - Gressler, L. E., Shah, S., & Shaya, F. T. JAMA Netw Open
Buprenorphine Coverage in the Medicare Part D Program for 2007 to 2018 - Hartung, D. M., Johnston, K., Geddes, J., Leichtling, G., Priest, K. C., & Korthuis, P. T. JAMA
Mortality After Discontinuation of Primary Care-Based Chronic Opioid Therapy for Pain: a Retrospective Cohort Study - James, J. R., Scott, J. M., Klein, J. W., Jackson, S., McKinney, C., Novack, M., Chew, L., Merrill, J. O. J Gen Intern Med
Data quality considerations when using county-level opioid overdose death rates to inform policy and practice - Jones, C. M., Warner, M., Hedegaard, H., & Compton, W. Drug and Alcohol Dependence
News Media Reporting On Medication Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder Amid The Opioid Epidemic - Kennedy-Hendricks, A., Levin, J., Stone, E., McGinty, E. E., Gollust, S. E., & Barry, C. L. Health Affairs
Touchpoints - Opportunities to predict and prevent opioid overdose: A cohort study - Larochelle, M. R., Bernstein, R., Bernson, D., Land, T., Stopka, T. J., Rose, A. J., Bharel, M., Liebschutz, J. M., Walley, A. Y. Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Association Between the Number of Certified Buprenorphine Prescribers and the Quantity of Buprenorphine Prescriptions: Evidence from 2015 to 2017 - Lin, L. K., Simon, K., Hollingsworth, A., & Saloner, B. J Gen Intern Med
Using the Results from Rigorous Multisite Evaluations to Inform Local Policy Decisions - Orr, L. L., Olsen, R. B., Bell, S. H., Schmid, I., Shivji, A., & Stuart, E. A. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management
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Forthcoming Presentations
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October 16-19, 2019
Presenting "Emerging issues in the evaluation of opioid policies;" "Retail pharmacy naloxone prescriptions: An exploration of differences across provider specialties and patient populations;" "Innovations in quality in Opioid Treatment Systems and Policy;" "Emerging issues in the evaluation of opioid policies;" and Pre-Conference Workshop on Propensity Scores at Addictions Health Services Research (AHSR), Park City, UT - Beth Ann Griffin, Rosalie Pacula, Rosanna Smart, Megan Schuler, Bradley Stein
November 7, 2019
Presenting "Growth of Illicit Drug Markets and its Effects on Crime Rates" at Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM), Denver, CO - Sujeong Park
November 13-16, 2019
Presenting "New insights about fentanyl markets & harm reduction" at American Society of Criminology (ASC), San Francisco, CA - Rosanna Smart and Bryce Pardo
November 15, 2019
Presenting on "Machine Learning in Causal Inference" at Boston University School of Public Health Statistics and the Life Sciences: Creating a Healthier World Symposium, Boston, MA - Beth Ann Griffin
November 23-25, 2019
Presenting "The Dynamics of Local Opioid Markets and Their Response to State Policies" at Southern Economic Association, Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Rosanna Smart
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OPTIC is designed to be a national resource, fostering innovative and high-quality research in opioid policy science, and developing and disseminating methods, tools, and information to the research community, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
http://www.rand.org/OPTIC
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