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Research Brief

Consider a Range of Policy Areas to Solve the Opioid Crisis

Jul 3, 2018

Many thoughtful policies have been implemented to reduce access to opioids and enhance treatment for addiction. But policies targeting one part of the system can have unintended effects on another. To combat the crisis, decisionmakers will need to weigh potential policy outcomes across the entire opioid ecosystem.
Journal Article

Risky Prescribing of Opioids Linked to More Fatal Overdoses and Other Deaths

Jun 18, 2018

When patients are prescribed opioids in risky ways, their chance of dying increases, and their odds of death go higher as the number of risky opioid prescriptions increases.

Explore Opioids

News Release

News Release

Providing Supervised Medical-Grade Heroin to Heavy Users Can Reduce Harms; Approach Merits Pilot Study in U.S.

Providing supervised access to medical-grade heroin to people whose use continues after trying multiple traditional treatments has been successful in other countries, and should be piloted and studied in the United States.

Dec 6, 2018
Report

Considering Heroin-Assisted Treatment and Supervised Drug Consumption Sites in America

Increasing access to medications like methadone and buprenorphine is essential to addressing the U.S. opioid crisis. But the severity of the crisis warrants examining additional interventions. What does the evidence suggest about heroin-assisted treatment and supervised consumption sites? And what are some of the issues associated with implementing them in the United States?

Dec 6, 2018
Journal Article

Supply-Side Drug Policy in the Presence of Substitutes: Evidence from the Introduction of Abuse-Deterrent Opioids

The recent increase in heroin deaths is primarily fueled by the reformulation of OxyContin.

Oct 31, 2018
Report

Report

Effects of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder on Functional Outcomes: A Systematic Review

This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the effects of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder on functional outcomes, including cognitive, physical, occupational, social/behavioral, and neurological function.

Oct 30, 2018
Journal Article

Data Sources and Data-Linking Strategies to Support Research to Address the Opioid Crisis: Final Report

This report highlights key research questions and identifies opportunities to use existing data sources and implement data-linking strategies that can support the HHS five point strategy to combat the opioid crisis.

Oct 16, 2018
Commentary

In Opioid Policy, One Size Does Not Fit All

To solve America's opioid crisis, policymakers will need to view the epidemic as an “ecosystem,” where policies that target only one part of the problem can have unintended consequences.

Oct 12, 2018
News Release

New Curriculum Offered to Teach Opioid Risks to Middle School Students

A new and free science-based curriculum designed to teach adolescents about the risks of opioids has been released by Project ALERT, a national evidence-based drug education program created and managed by RAND.

Sep 24, 2018
Announcement

Announcement

19th U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy Elected to RAND Board of Trustees

Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, 19th Surgeon General of the United States, has been elected to the RAND Corporation Board of Trustees.

Sep 14, 2018
Journal Article

Nearly Thirty Percent of Physicians' Opioid Prescriptions Lack a Pain Diagnosis

Medical use of opioids has increased dramatically over the past two decades, far exceeding increases in the prevalence of pain. No pain diagnosis was recorded at 28.5 percent of physician visits in which an opioid was prescribed.

Sep 14, 2018
Announcement

NIH Funds RAND Corporation Opioid Research Center Dedicated to Policies for Addressing the National Crisis

A research center dedicated to identifying effective policies for combating the nation's opioid epidemic has been established at the RAND Corporation, supported by a $7.2 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a component of the National Institutes of Health.

Sep 10, 2018
Multimedia

Evolution of the U.S. Overdose Crisis

An overview of testimony by Bryce Pardo presented before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations on September 6, 2018.

Sep 6, 2018
Testimony

China's Role in the U.S. Synthetic Opioid Market

Illicitly sourced synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are involved in most of today's overdose deaths. Though most of these substances appear to come from China, many dimensions of this problem are unclear. Understanding the shifting supply of opioids is critical to addressing the overdose crisis.

Sep 6, 2018
Multimedia

Improving Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment

Treatment for opioid addiction and other substance use disorders often exists apart from primary care. It's also difficult to access and under-resourced. In response to these challenges, RAND's Katherine Watkins developed an innovative approach to addiction treatment through primary care settings.

Sep 1, 2018
Infographic

Managing Pain with Alternative Therapies

This infographic compiles information from hundreds of reviews of the evidence on the effect of alternative and integrative therapies, such as acupuncture, mindfulness (meditation), and Tai Chi, on different types of pain.

Aug 24, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Expanding the Role of Clinical Pharmacists on Interdisciplinary Primary Care Teams for Chronic Pain and Opioid Management

Insufficient local staffing may limit the time a clinical pharmacist has to address both chronic disease and opioid management.

Aug 24, 2018
Journal Article

Sustaining Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Primary Care: A Mixed Methods Study

Access to external funding and staff support are two important factors for the sustainability of substance use disorder treatment provision within primary care clinics.

Aug 24, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Risk of Weight Gain for Specific Antipsychotic Drugs: A Meta-Analysis

It is critical to understand the metabolic effects of antipsychotic drugs that are used for prolonged periods of time in the treatment of schizophrenia, as well as other serious mental illnesses, often at higher-than-recommended doses.

Aug 22, 2018
Dissertation

Dissertation

Increasing Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders: Estimating Costs, Supply, and the Effects of Insurance Expansions

This dissertation measures access to buprenorphine, the fastest growing form of medication-assisted treatment, and the effects of demand side interventions aiming to tackle the opioid problem in America.

Aug 14, 2018

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