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Research Brief

Understanding America's Surge in Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids

Oct 7, 2019

Although overdose deaths from heroin and prescription opioids have declined, deaths involving synthetic opioids are on the rise. Much of the current wave of overdoses is linked to one synthetic opioid: fentanyl.
Commentary

Policies That Punish Pregnant Women for Substance Use Don't Help Mother or Baby

Jan 28, 2020

About half of all U.S. states now have policies that criminalize substance use during pregnancy, consider it grounds for civil commitment, or consider it child abuse or neglect. But research suggests that punitive policies aren't beneficial for infants or their mothers.

Explore Opioids

Journal Article

Journal Article

A Mixed-Method Comparison of Physician-Reported Beliefs About and Barriers to Treatment with Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

We conducted a mixed-methods study that involved focus group interviews and an online survey disseminated to a random group of licensed U.S. physicians, which oversampled physicians with a preexisting waiver to prescribe buprenorphine.

Oct 13, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Study Design to Evaluate a Group-based Therapy for Support Persons of Adults on Buprenorphine/Naloxone

This study will evaluate whether the adapted intervention, also known as integrating support persons into recovery, is effective in increasing patient retention on buprenorphine when compared to usual care.

Sep 18, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Health Center Implementation of Telemedicine for Opioid Use Disorders: A Qualitative Assessment of Adopters and Nonadopters

Although use of telemedicine for the treatment of opioid use disorders is growing, there is limited research on how it is actually being deployed in treatment. We explored how health centers across the U.S. are using it.

Sep 18, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Dawn of a New Synthetic Opioid Era: The Need for Innovative Interventions

This paper stems from recent research into understanding the past, present and possible futures of synthetic opioids in North America and beyond.

Sep 17, 2020
Journal Article

Association of Pregnancy and Insurance Status With Treatment Access for Opioid Use Disorder

In this cross-sectional study with random assignment of clinicians and simulated-patient callers, many women, especially pregnant women, faced barriers to accessing treatment. Given the high out-of-pocket costs and lack of acceptance of insurance among many clinicians, access to affordable opioid use disorder treatment is a significant concern.

Sep 3, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Ethics Consultations Related to Opioid Use Disorder

The aim of this study was to characterize ethics consult questions among inpatients with opioid use disorder at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Sep 3, 2020
Journal Article

Monthly Patient Volumes of Buprenorphine-Waivered Clinicians in the US

This cross-sectional study examines the number of patients prescribed buprenorphine by waivered-clinicians. Evidence shows waivered-clinicians who are able to prescribe buprenorphine treat fewer patients than their limit allows. With so much unmet demand for OUD treatment, this suggests the need for ongoing efforts to address treatment barriers.

Aug 27, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Opioid Prescribing History Prior to Heroin Overdose Among Commercially Insured Adults

We used insurance claims to examine the prevalence and prescribing patterns of prescription opioids in a national cohort of individuals experiencing a treated heroin-related overdose between 2010 and 2017.

Jul 31, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Prevalence and Predictors of Driving After Prescription Opioid Use in an Adult ED Sample

Prescription opioid use and driving is a public health concern given the risks associated with drugged driving. We examined the prevalence and correlates of driving after taking prescription opioids among adults seeking emergency department treatment.

Jul 31, 2020
Journal Article

The Public Health Value of Opioid Litigation

This article proceeds in three parts: discussions of the general goals and role of public health tort litigation, the demonstrated and potential value of opioid litigation to achieve public health goals, and a conclusion.

Jul 31, 2020
Journal Article

Systematic Review of the Emerging Literature on the Effectiveness of Naloxone Access Laws in the United States

The existing literature on naloxone access laws in the United States supports beneficial effects for increased naloxone distribution, but provides inconclusive evidence for reduced fatal opioid overdose.

Jul 28, 2020
Journal Article

The State of the Science in Opioid Policy Research

The rigor of study design varies notably across policy categories, highlighting the need for broader adoption of rigorous methods in opioid policy research.

Jul 7, 2020
Journal Article

Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Among Pregnant Women Referred by Criminal Justice Agencies Before and After Medicaid Expansion: A Retrospective Study of Admissions to Treatment Centers in the United States

Pregnant women with OUD referred by criminal justice agencies between 1992 and 2017 were consistently less likely to receive evidence-based treatment than women referred through other sources.

Jun 30, 2020
Journal Article

Variation in the Degree of Concentration of Prescription Opioid Utilization Using Different Measures

A small share of prescription opioid users account for a large percent of total prescription opioid use.

Jun 26, 2020
Journal Article

How Increasing Medical Access to Opioids Contributes to the Opioid Epidemic: Evidence from Medicare Part D

The national growth in opioid supply explains 75% of the national rise in opioid treatment admissions and the diversion component is a critical driver of the opioid epidemic.

Jun 26, 2020
Blog

A Message from Our President and CEO, America's Wealth Gap, Disinformation: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on doing more to address systemic inequalities and structural racism, paying the bills during COVID-19, America's growing wealth gap, and more.

Jun 5, 2020
Journal Article

Consensus Guidelines and State Policies: The Gap Between Principle and Practice at the Intersection of Substance Use and Pregnancy

We review the change over time in state-level policy environments around substance use in pregnancy and contrast the policy response with the principles and guidance from professional societies and federal agencies.

Jun 3, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Treating Patients With Opioid Use Disorder in Their Homes: An Emerging Treatment Model

Treating OUD in the home via telehealth is expanding under COVID, but it is not clear what will happen post pandemic.

May 29, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Incidence and Treatment Costs of Severe Bacterial Infections Among People Who Inject Heroin: A Cohort Study in South London, England

A study examined the rates of hospitalisation or death related to severe bacteria infections among people who inject heroin in South London, England. The report compared these rates to the general population and calculated the cost of admissions.

May 19, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Settling the Score: Maximizing the Public Health Impact of Opioid Litigation

This Article responds to skeptics of a potential global opioid settlement agreement by proposing terms that would further public health goals.

May 12, 2020

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