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Pharmaceutical Drugs

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Although pharmaceutical drugs on the whole greatly improve patient outcomes and quality of life when used as prescribed, they are not without their complications. RAND research on pharmaceuticals examines their safety and effectiveness, relevant health economics issues, prescription drug abuse, challenges related to access and adherence, and pharmaceutical regulatory policy.

Essay
America's Opioid Crisis: Adopting an Ecosystem Approach
The opioid crisis is metastasizing throughout society, reaching across public health and public safety, but also education, employment, and the child welfare system. Without profound change and new approaches to the crisis, hundreds of thousands of people could die in the coming years.
Jun 30, 2023
Commentary
Medicare Drug Price Negotiation: Key Decisions to Reach a 'Fair Price'
Government negotiation of Medicare drug prices—even for a small set of older, single-source drugs—is a remarkable policy development. But how exactly will the government do it?
Nov 7, 2022

Explore Pharmaceutical Drugs

Report
Understanding Prescription Drug Supply Chains
The typical stakeholders, relationships, and financial incentives involved in prescription drug supply chains vary depending on the characteristics of a drug and how it reaches patients. Differences in business practices complicate a universal description of drug supply chains.
Oct 27, 2021
Journal Article
Origins of the Opioid Crisis and Its Enduring Impacts
In this paper, we examine the role of the 1996 introduction and marketing of OxyContin as a potential leading cause of the opioid crisis.
Oct 19, 2021
Journal Article
Buprenorphine Prescriber Monthly Patient Caseloads: An Examination of 6-Year Trajectories
We examine buprenorphine-prescribing clinicians' patient caseloads over time and explore prescriber characteristics associated with different caseload trajectories.
Oct 1, 2021
Journal Article
Claims-based Measures of Prescription Opioid Utilization: A Practical Guide for Researchers
We reviewed medical literature for recent studies that use claims data to construct opioid utilization measures, then developed a guide for researchers regarding opioid utilization measures and measure definitions, and how these may influence study results.
Sep 30, 2021
Journal Article
How Is Modern Medicine Being Affected by Drug-Resistant Infections?
This report explores the relationship between drug-resistant bacterial infections, focusing on antibiotic-resistant infections and conditions such as HIV, cancer and diabetes and medical treatment including surgery, organ transplant and ICU care.
Sep 28, 2021
Journal Article
Consensus-based Approach to Managing Opioids, Including Opioid Misuse and Opioid Use Disorder, in Patients with Serious Illness: Protocol for a Modified Delphi Process
Using a modified Delphi approach, we created seven patient cases that capture important management challenges in individuals with serious illness prescribed opioid therapy.
Sep 22, 2021
Blog
Prescription Drug Prices, Unemployment Insurance, Anti-Asian Racism: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on lowering prescription drug prices, reforming unemployment insurance, addressing anti-Asian racism, and more.
Sep 17, 2021
News Release
Linking U.S. Prescription Drug Prices to Those in Other Nations Could Cut Costs in Half
High prescription drug prices in the United States drive up overall health care costs and lead many patients to forgo their medications. Linking U.S. drug prices to those in other countries would have cut U.S. spending on insulins and 50 top brand-name drugs by 52 percent in 2020—a savings of $83.5 billion.
Sep 10, 2021
Dissertation
Three Essays on the Broader Effects of the Opioid Crisis
Investigates the unintended consequences of opioid policies, OxyContin reformulation and prescription drug monitoring programs on crime, labor supply, and child welfare.
Aug 24, 2021
Report
RAND Technical Expert Panel Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D Contract Star Ratings, May 5, 2021 Meeting
The RAND team gathered input from experts about stratified reporting by Part D low-income subsidy (LIS) and dual eligibility (DE), and disability and assessing social risk factors of Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D contract beneficiaries.
Aug 5, 2021
Journal Article
Variation in Generic Dispensing Rates in Medicare Part D
Although generic use has increased markedly over time in Part D, substantial variation across plans persists in a number of common therapeutic classes.
Jun 30, 2021
Journal Article
Concentration of Patient Care Among Buprenorphine-Prescribing Clinicians in the U.S.
Drawing on national retail pharmacy data, researchers identified and categorized clinicians who prescribed buprenorphine for OUD at least once between January 2017 and December 2018.
Jun 10, 2021
News Release
Most Prescriptions for Opioid Addiction Medication Buprenorphine Are Written by a Small Number of Providers
Half of all patient-months of buprenorphine treatment during 2016 and 2017 were prescribed by just 4.9% of the physicians and other providers who prescribed the drug during the period.
Jun 1, 2021
Journal Article
Toward a Typology of Office-based Buprenorphine Treatment Laws: Themes from a Review of State Laws
Buprenorphine is a gold standard treatment for opioid use disorder. Some states have passed laws regulating office-based buprenorphine treatment, with requirements beyond those required in federal law. This study identified themes in state laws.
May 26, 2021
Blog
Biden's First Address to Congress: Insights from RAND
President Joe Biden addressed a joint session of Congress, summarizing his administration's early COVID-19 response and outlining plans that aim to loosen the pandemic's year-long grip on a weary nation. The speech reflected the fact that the United States faces policy challenges across a wide range of domains.
Apr 29, 2021
Research Brief
Substance Use Among the Reserve Component
The Health Related Behaviors Survey provides insight into substance use among reserve component members, particularly use of alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products, and illicit and prescription drugs.
Apr 28, 2021
Research Brief
2018 Health Related Behaviors Survey: Substance Use Among the Active Component
The 2018 Health Related Behaviors Survey sought information on the health and health behaviors of service members. This brief reviews results for substance use among active component members, particularly use of alcohol, tobacco, and medication.
Apr 28, 2021
Journal Article
Growing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Buprenorphine Distribution in the United States, 2007–2017
We find ecological evidence consistent with racial/ethnic disparities in buprenorphine distribution. Our finding that initiatives to increase the number of waivered prescribers are insufficient to achieve equitable buprenorphine access.
Apr 27, 2021
Research Brief
U.S. Prescription Drug Prices Are 2.5 Times Those in Other Countries
U.S. prices for prescription drugs were 250 percent of those in 32 comparison countries combined. Brand-name drugs drive the disparity: U.S. prices for this category were 344 percent higher. However, U.S. prices for unbranded generics were lower than those in other countries.
Apr 14, 2021
Journal Article
Prescribers and Naloxone Pharmacy Claims
Commentary on an article by Truong, Patil, and Rich, on the benefits and dangers of naloxone prescriptions.
Apr 13, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Pharmaceutical Drugs

Topic Synonyms:
Medicinal Drugs

Research conducted by

RAND Health Care

Researcher Spotlight

Andrew W. Mulcahy

Senior Policy Researcher

Andrew Mulcahy is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. His key research areas are prescription drugs, payment for health care services and drugs, and policy evaluation in general. He routinely uses large-scale health care claims and transactional data in his research.
Marcela Horvitz-Lennon

Senior Physician Policy Researcher

Marcela Horvitz-Lennon is a senior physician scientist at the RAND Corporation and a core faculty member of the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She is also an associate professor of psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School, a senior scientist at the Health Equity Research Laboratory,…

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