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Opioids

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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.
News Release

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

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
Journal Article

Journal Article

A Population-Based Examination of Trends and Disparities in Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders Among Medicaid Enrollees

The number of Medicaid recipients receiving medication to treat opioid abuse increased sharply in the years after approval of a new drug, but the increase was smaller in poorer counties & areas with larger populations of black and Hispanic residents.

Jun 27, 2018
News Release

Use of Medication Therapy to Treat Opioid Abuse Among Medicaid Recipients Increased After Approval of New Drug

The number of Medicaid recipients receiving medication to treat opioid abuse increased sharply in the years after approval of buprenorphine, but the increase was smaller in poorer counties and areas with larger populations of black and Hispanic residents.

Jun 25, 2018
Journal Article

The U.S. Opioid Epidemic: One Disease, Diverging Tales

To date, the stigma associated with opioid dependence has had the untoward effect of discouraging treatment-seeking behavior before the occurrence of an adverse event.

Jun 1, 2018
Journal Article

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

A weak evidence base prevents strong conclusions about the effects of Medication Assisted Treatment for opioid use disorder on functional outcomes.

May 30, 2018
Periodical

Periodical

RAND Review: May-June 2018

This issue features research on preventing child abuse and neglect and improving outcomes for children in the U.S. child-welfare system; a look back on RAND's 70 years of innovation; and an exploration of the human side of artificial intelligence.

Apr 30, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Addressing the Opioid Epidemic in the United States: Lessons from the Department of Veterans Affairs

Reflecting a comprehensive VA effort to improve pain management, in 2007 fewer veterans received high doses of opioids and more veterans received non-opioid pain therapies, naloxone, and treatment for substance use disorders.

Apr 26, 2018
Journal Article

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

Results suggest that a substantial share of the dramatic increase in heroin deaths since 2010 can be attributed to the reformulation of OxyContin.

Apr 26, 2018
Journal Article

Effects of Motivational Interviewing Fidelity on Substance Use Treatment Engagement in Primary Care

Motivational interviewing is used extensively to improve health and substance use-related outcomes, but therapists may need more training in strategic use of the approach.

Apr 3, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Predictors of Retention in an Alcohol and Risky Sex Prevention Program for Homeless Young Adults

Homeless young adults were less likely to complete an alcohol and other drug and risky sex prevention program if they had slept outside or received the program in an urban setting.

Apr 3, 2018
Journal Article

Market Supply and the Opioid Crisis: Looking Back for a Path Forward

Abundant supply of opioids was one of the major causes of the opioid crisis. Broader supply-side policies that consider the full market, if coupled with effective treatment, are likely to be effective and resistant to substitution effects.

Mar 1, 2018
Journal Article

Implementing the Chronic Care Model for Opioid and Alcohol Use Disorders in Primary Care

This paper describes the process of planning and developing an intervention for delivering treatment for opioid and alcohol use disorders in primary care.

Feb 14, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Evaluation of Medical Inpatients Who Are Admitted on Long-term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain

Outpatient guidelines can help hospitalists evaluate inpatients on long-term opioid therapy, but more work is needed to help providers make decisions for inpatients that balance effective pain treatment and opioid risk reduction.

Feb 13, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Assessing and Improving Organizational Readiness to Implement Substance Use Disorder Treatment in Primary Care: Findings from the SUMMIT Study

An organizational readiness intervention improved some implementation outcomes related to integrating treatment for opioid and alcohol use disorders in primary care, but not all.

Feb 13, 2018
News Release

News Release

Link Between Medical Marijuana and Fewer Opioid Deaths Is More Complex Than Previously Reported

The association between medical marijuana and lower levels of opioid overdose deaths—identified previously in several studies—is more complex than previously described. It appears to be changing as both medical marijuana laws and the opioid crisis evolve.

Feb 6, 2018
Blog

Trump's First State of the Union: Insights from RAND

RAND research, analysis, and expertise provide context for the issues discussed in the president's first State of the Union address, including infrastructure, North Korea, and opioids.

Jan 31, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

High-Risk Prescribing to Medicaid Enrollees Receiving Opioid Analgesics: Individual- and County-Level Factors

Among Medicaid recipients, high-risk prescribing of opioids occurred in 39.4% of episodes. Four characteristics -- Older age, rural county of residence, white race, and major depression diagnosis -- were associated with higher rates of all types of high-risk prescribing.

Jan 16, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Barriers to Using Nonpharmacologic Approaches and Reducing Opioid Use in Primary Care

Decreasing the reliance of VA providers on opioid prescribing for chronic pain requires local availability of nonpharmacologic pain therapies (NPTs) as well as provider efficacy in prescribing NPTs.

Dec 14, 2017

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