Horizon Treatment Services Podcast: Hope Amid Crisis: Making Sense of Declining Overdose Rates Ep 07. Uncover the harsh realities of the opioid crisis through the expert eyes of Dr. Andrew Kolodny, an addiction specialist, with an impressive two-decade track record in the field. Dr. Kolodny is the Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University. April 8, 2025
The Worcester Guardian: MA continues to address opioid use disorder through Narcan access. Opioid Policy Research Collaborative Director Dr. Traci Green quoted. November 11, 2024
The PAARI Leadership Awards: On behalf of the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) board and staff, Dr. Mary Jo Larson, Senior Scientist, and Dr. Traci Green, Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative (OPRC) and their Responding to Xylazine (R2X) Team at Brandeis University have been chosen as a recipient of the PAARI Leadership Awards at the Tampa River Center in Tampa, Florida in February, 2025.
This honor is a testament to the OPRC at Brandeis University and their unwavering commitment, dedication, and leadership in advancing the important work of supporting individuals struggling with substance use disorders through innovative community partnerships. November 5, 2024
Boston Globe: Middlesex DA warns that animal tranquilizer, aka ‘tranq,’ linked to several recent overdoses [brandeis.us2.list-manage.com]. Brandeis study cited. In the first quarter of this year, Xylazine was detected in an alarming 49 percent of the state’s illicit drug supply, double the percentage from the same period last year, according to samples tested through Brandeis University’s drug-checking program, the Globe reported in February. Updated July 15, 2024.
Horizon Treatment Services Podcast: From Prescription to Addiction Ep 03. Uncover the harsh realities of the opioid crisis through the expert eyes of Dr. Andrew Kolodny, an addiction specialist, with an impressive two-decade track record in the field. Dr. Kolodny is the Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University. February 29, 2024
Boston Globe: 'Tranq' and other drugs are causing harder-to-revive overdoses across Mass. Polysubstance use is jeopardizing life-saving efforts for drug overdose victims. Dr. Traci Green, director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, quoted and cites the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative's work on drug-checking. February 24, 2024
WGBH: Smoking replaces injection as the primary method of use in overdose deaths. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director for the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, comments on the potential risks of smoking illicit substances like fentanyl, cocaine and heroin versus injection. February 16, 2024
Rotary Magazine: First Response to The Opioid Crisis: With Addiction Stuck at Alarming Levels, Rotary Members Join the Race to Save Lives. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, is quoted as saying, “To this day, one of the main policy failures is a failure to recognize that this is an epidemic of opioid addiction, an epidemic of people with a preventable, treatable disease,” he says. “If you miss that piece of it, you miss more of the upstream interventions, like prevention and treatment of opioid addiction.” January 5, 2024
The Provincetown Independent: Fentanyl in Drug Supply Spurs Community Response Contaminated drugs may present dangers for unaware partygoers. According to Dr. Traci Green, who heads the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, “about 15 to 20 percent of powdered stimulants-particularly cocaine-in Massachusetts are testing positive for fentanyl”. July 12, 2023
Everyday Health: Fentanyl Testing Strips Are Illegal in Many States — but That’s Changing. According to Andrew Kolodny, MD, the Medical Director of Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management in Waltham, Massachusetts, people who have opioid use disorder (OUD) still account for the overwhelming majority of people killed by fentanyl. “Fentanyl has really overtaken the black-market opioid supply. If someone is buying black market opioids, it’s safe to assume it’s fentanyl,” says Dr. Kolodny. May 9, 2023
MedPage Today: FDA Panelists Slam Agency's Proposed Opioid Trial Design – Advisors said outcomes from an enriched enrollment study would not be broadly generalizable. A discussion with Dr Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director at the Brandeis Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. Apr 20, 2023
PBS News Hour: How FDA approval of over-the-counter Narcan sales affects the opioid crisis Dr. Andrew Kolodny speaks to PBS about the FDA recently approving nationwide over-the-counter sales of Narcan. As featured in Heller in the News April 1, 2023
New Research Q&A: People with Disabilities Less Likely to Receive Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Professor and Associate Dean for Research Cindy Parks Thomas, PhD, and Professor Sharon Reif, PhD, discussed their findings and policy recommendations with Heller Communications. As featured in Heller in the News March 23, 2023
Boston Medical Center: Best Practice Guidance for Post-Overdose Outreach New guidance summary in collaboration with the Grayken Center for Addiction, Boston Medical Center. Alexander Walley, MD., Traci C. Green, PhD., Mary Wheeler, Brandon Del Pozo, PhD. March 15, 2023
U.S.News: Study: Disabled People Less Likely to Be Prescribed Medication for Opioid Disorder While a number of factors could contribute to people with disabilities having less access to opioid use disorder medications – including physical limitations that could complicate in-person visits to facilities – a general lack of comfort among some clinicians in providing care for either patients with opioid use disorder or those with a disability, could be behind the disparity, says lead study author Cindy Park Thomas in U.S. News. As featured in Heller in the News March 13, 2023
OPRC receives new grant on the emergence of xylazine in the drug supply
Brandeis University Heller News Release, March 01, 2023
The Opioid Policy Research Collaborative (OPRC), within the Institute of Behavioral Health at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, and its partners were awarded a grant from the University of Baltimore’s Center for Drug Policy and Prevention (CDPP) to investigate appropriate police and community responses to xylazine in the drug supply.
Boston Globe: Mass. May Now be the Epicenter for Animal Tranquilizer-Laced Street Drugs. Here’s What to Know. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, a Senior Scientist and Medical Director at the OPRC, at Brandeis University said “the system really doesn’t work unless it’s on the federal government schedule. It’s kind of like guns,” he said. “You can ban guns in one state but you [can] go across the border to get them from another.” February 22, 2023
NBC Boston: A Drug Meant to Sedate Large Animals Is Being Used on the Streets – And It's Causing Abscesses, Ulcers and More Brandeis University professor Dr. Traci Green speaks to NBC Boston about how cutting-edge technology is being used to detect xylazine in drug samples. As featured in Heller in the News February 16, 2023
The Providence Journal: ‘People are Going to Start Losing Limbs': Animal 'tranq' is Reshaping RI's Drug Landscape. Dr. Traci Green, co-director of Rhode Island Hospital’s Center of Biomedical Research Excellence on Opioids and Overdose and Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University explains, “Because we don’t know the safe dose, any presence is not good. Is it a little or a lot that causes the abscesses? We don’t know the answers. … If we can get a better handle on the dosing, we can keep people safe.” She also makes clear that protocols are needed from public health officials, and first responders in dealing with wound care. February 15, 2023
Boston GBH News: Animal Tranquilizer Increasingly Showing Up in New England Street Drugs “It’s a very useful medication when you need to sedate a large animal,” explains Dr. Traci Green, an epidemiologist who leads the Brandeis University project. February 15, 2023
Dr. Traci Green and colleagues have prepared the new Stimulant Guide for the CDC in which was just released on February 13, 2023.
NBC Boston: A Drug Meant to Sedate Large Animals Is Being Used on the Streets – And It's Causing Abscesses, Ulcers and More Traci Green , PhD, MSc., speaks to NBC Boston about how cutting-edge technology is being used to detect xylazine in drug samples. As featured in Heller in the News February 8, 2023
PEW Trusts Research Center: States, Cities Scramble to Combat Animal ‘Tranq’ in Street Drugs “It’s not just overdose deaths that we have to worry about now,” said Dr. Traci Green, Director of the drug testing project at Brandeis University, explaining that states and cities will need to develop new ways to address the novel collateral damage xylazine is causing. February 8, 2023
New England Journal of Medicine: The Regimen for Expanding Buprenorphine Access: Collaborative Pharmacy-based Induction Traci Green , PhD, MSc., joined The Regimen podcast to discuss a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine about how pharmacies can offer more equitable access to addiction medicine. As featured in Heller in the News February 3, 2023
U.S. News & World Report: Safe Injection Sites Have Gained a Foothold in the U.S. Are More on the Way? Not everyone is convinced of the impact of an increased number of supervised consumption sites would have on U.S. overdose deaths. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, MD, the Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, argues such facilities are more ideal for urban rather than rural communities. Feb. 2, 2023
Best Practice Guidance for Post-Overdose Outreach New guidance summary in collaboration with the Grayken Center for Addiction, Boston Medical Center.
Alexander Walley, MD., Traci C. Green, PhD., Mary Wheeler, Brandon Del Pozo, PhD. March 15, 2023
NHPR: ‘It’s kind of Russian Roulette’: How an animal tranquilizer is adding new risks to street drugs in New Hampshire. Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., a professor at Brandeis University and the drug-checking program’s lead investigator, says giving people who use drugs a better understanding of the risks they may face also helps inform the health workers and first responders on the front lines of the overdose crisis. “People for their own consumer safety deserve to have access to information,” she said. “And we as public health and public safety can better respond if we know what we're dealing with.” As featured in Heller in the News January 20, 2023
Boston Globe: Fatal R.I. overdoses remained high in 2022. Here’s what two organizations want to do about it According to the Boston Globe, it’s too soon to say whether 2022 will be the deadliest year on record for accidental drug overdoses in Rhode Island. However, Traci Green, a research scientist at Lifespan and epidemiologist who studies drug overdose, explains that “the data are definitely still trending in the wrong direction.” As featured in Heller in the News January 13, 2023
Boston Globe: Let Pharmacists Prescribe Addiction Medicine Dr. Traci Green and co-authors write that pharmacies can offer more equitable access to life-saving drugs – if states cut some red tape. As featured in Heller in the News January 12, 2023
WBUR: Study taps pharmacies as addiction treatment option during opioid crisis Dr. Traci Green, who co-directs the Center for Biological Research Excellence on Opioids and Overdose at Rhode Island Hospital, said that the study shows pharmacies are a safe and effective way to expand addiction treatment. “We need a lot more [options] if we’re going to try to turn the tide in the opioid crisis,” said Green. “And pharmacists are at the ready.” As featured in Heller in the News January 11, 2023
Boston 25 News: Making overdose crisis more severe’: concerns over animal tranquilizer growing in Massachusetts. “We’re trying to track the xylazine as it shifts throughout the state to help prepare community programs and people who use drugs to better equip themselves to stay safe,” said Traci Green, PhD, MSc., with the Brandeis Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. September 27, 2022
RIZE Massachusetts Newsletter: Enabling Health: Enhancing Harm Reduction Services in MA - AMERSA 46th Annual Conference, “Examining Systems, Substance Use and Disenfranchisement” (Runner-up for the Best Research Abstract Award -Congratulations, Dr. Traci Green!) to be held in Boston, MA November 10-12, 2022.
Safer Cities Newsletter: Suggested readings this week revolve around a central theme: as opioid deaths reach historic highs, promising new overdose prevention programs are taking shape—and federal funds and opioid litigation settlement dollars could help launch more of them in the newsletter, also cited on Twitter. September 12, 2022
Legal Reader: Xylazine an Animal Sedative Has Been Found in Illicit Drugs, Data from January to mid-June 2022 shows that xylazine was in “28% of drug samples tested by the Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream (MADDS).” And in some areas of the state, the drug has been found in “50% to 75%” of samples. Dr. Traci Green, Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis and leads MADDS. August 19, 2022
Boston Globe: Worcester DA warns of overdose surge as animal tranquilizer increasingly found mixed in with drugs “We’ve seen an exponential increase during the pandemic,” Dr. Traci Green, who directs the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis and leads MADDS, told WBUR. “Now the sad thing is we’re really seeing it all over the state. It’s definitely hazardous.” August 16, 2022
NPR: An animal tranquilizer is making street drugs even more dangerous Dr. Traci Green, who oversees MADDS and directs the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University states "The sad thing is we're really seeing it all over the state. It's definitely hazardous." August 5, 2022
WBUR Boston Radio: Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, compounds overdose crisis "We've seen an exponential increase during the pandemic," MADDS Principal Investigator Dr. Traci Green told WBUR. July 15, 2022
NBC Boston: Interview with Dr. Traci Green, Ph.D., MSc, Professor, and Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. New warning about Mass. street drugs being cut with animal sedative Xylazine is not an opioid, but it can cause problems that increases the risk of overdose, skin ulcers or death for people taking opioids cut with it, according to the Massachusetts Drug Supply Stream, a collaboration between the state Department of Public Health and Brandeis University that checks drugs circulating in the community. July 15, 2022
Dr. Andrew Kolodny Appointed President of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP) has appointed Dr. Andrew Kolodny to succeed Dr. Jane Ballantyne as the organization’s next president. The appointment will become effective June 21, 2022.
Florida Record: Florida Opioid Trial Testimony; Walgreens said DEA Bullied Them, Lobbied to Fight Back Dr. Andrew Kolodny quoted in the regarding Walgreens' involvement in the Florida opioid crisis. May 02, 2022
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) led by Traci Green, Ph.D., MSc, Professor, and Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. President Biden’s National Drug Control Strategy Receives Broad Support from Public Health, Public Safety, and Local, State and Federal Leaders | The White House. April 25, 2022. PRESS RELEASE
PBS News Hour: White House Will Push ‘Harm Reduction’ in Latest Fight Against Drug Overdoses. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Brandeis University: So, harm reduction approaches do work. And making clean syringes available to injection drug users is a proven way to reduce injection-related infectious diseases. It's a positive, important public health intervention. April 21, 2022
Charleston, WV Gazette-Mail: Expert: No Medical Reason to Explain 'Enormous' Uptick in WV Opioid Scripts Andrew Kolodny, MD, the medical director of Opioid Policy Research at Brandeis University, was called by the state as an expert witness in the case last Thursday, according to the newspaper . April 18, 2022
Everyday Health: Fentanyl Pills Are Driving a Drug Overdose Spike Among U.S. High Schoolers In the article Andrew Kolodny, MD, the medical director of Opioid policy research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, explains that overdose deaths among teenagers are due to experimentation and casual or occasional use. April 13, 2022
Mass. drug courts settle with US Attorney's Office over interfering with treatment GBH News: Dr. Andrew Kolodny, the medical director for the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management, was quoted by the article concerning drug use for specific treatment plans, including which medication to take. March 25, 2022
AP News: Yale Strikes Sackler Name From Campus Amid Opioid Outrage quotes Dr. Andrew Kolodny, who is a critic of Purdue and the Sacklers, has testified against the company in court, and leads a program on Opioid policy at Brandeis University. March 11, 2022
The Wall Street Journal: Opioid Use on Los Angeles Angels Extended Beyond Tyler Skaggs, Trial Testimony Reveals Dr. Andrew Kolodny is quoted talking about athletes struggling with opioid addiction. February 15, 2022
Study Finds Unexpected Benefits of ‘Drug Checking’ Programs NC State University News, Raleigh, NC cites a study co-authored by Traci Green, Ph.D., MSc, that shows "drug checking" programs have unexpected benefits, allowing public health programs to reach and work with people who use drugs who would otherwise not access services such as HIV testing. February 07, 2022
2022 AWARD
Opioid use disorder and the COVID 19 pandemic: A call to sustain regulatory easements and further expand access to treatment, paper by Dr. Traci Green and co-authors Jeffrey Bratberg and Deborah Finnell, has earned Substance Abuse journal’s 2020 award for Most Downloaded Manuscript. January 24, 2022.
The Grimmest Milestone that America Ignored this Year. In The New Republic, Dr. Andrew Kolodny is quoted speaking on how overdose deaths have surged during the pandemic. December 29, 2021
Fentanyl Overdoses Have Gotten Deadlier During the Pandemic. Dr. Andrew Kolodny is quoted in Paper Magazine saying that low-income populations have been hit especially hard by fentanyl during the pandemic. December 22, 2021
RIZE Massachusetts Unveils Nearly $350,000 in Grants To Improve State's Behavioral Health Workforce Ecosystem. Researchers Karen Donelan, Traci Green and Laura Michelson have received an award from RIZE, a foundation working to end the opioid epidemic in Mass., to conduct research into the state's harm reduction workforce. December 16, 2021
Fentanyl and COVID-19 May Have Made the Opioid Epidemic Even Deadlier. In TIME, Dr. Andrew Kolodny is quoted speaking about how fentanyl has spread across the U.S. and how opioid overdose deaths have increased in the last two decades. December 16, 2021
How the pandemic helped spread fentanyl across the US and drive opioid overdose deaths to a grim new high. In The Conversation, Dr. Andrew Kolodny writes about how the pandemic contributed to the spread of fentanyl in the U.S. and in the increase in opioid overdose deaths. November 22, 2021
People Magazine, The Connecticut Department of Public Health is alerting residents of possible fentanyl-laced marijuana following a string of overdoses in the state: Dr. Traci Green, professor and director of the Opioid Policy Research Collective at Brandeis University, tells PEOPLE. "Thankfully, fentanyl responds really well to naloxone, or Narcan," Dr. Green said. "That means that if Narcan is available and in the hands of people at that party, or at the housing structure or wherever, we'd have more opportunities for a quicker response." November 19, 2021
PBS NewsHour: How the pandemic is contributing to an alarming rise in opioid overdose deaths Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, explains that while the pandemic played a role in overdose deaths, drug addiction in the U.S. has been a persistent issue. November 18, 2021
CNN: Drug overdose deaths top 100,000 annually for the first time, driven by fentanyl, CDC data show Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, speaks about how improving access to treatment will help prevent further deaths from drug overdoses. November 17, 2021
A Spike In Drug Overdose Deaths During The Pandemic. Dr. Andrew Kolodny joined Diane Rehm on WAMU American University Radio to discuss the recent spike in overdose deaths and how so many Americans became addicted to opioids in the first place. November 05, 2021
Traumatic Brain Injury Tied to Later Opioid Use, Misuse. Physicians Weekly highlights Dr. Rachel Sayko Adams' research on the increased risk of opioid misuse among people with a history of traumatic brain injury. October 04, 2021
Traumatic Brain Injury Tied to Later Opioid Use, Misuse. HealthDay cites research by Dr. Rachel Sayko Adams, that examines how adults with a lifetime history of TBI are more at risk for prescription opioid use and misuse. September 22, 2021
People Magazine, Connecticut Warns of Fentanyl-Laced Marijuana After Drug Sample Tests Positive for the Opioid: "We've seen a major increase," says Dr. Traci Green, professor and director of the Opioid Policy Research Collective at Brandeis University, tells PEOPLE. "Fentanyl has reached into communities where it hadn't ever been before." September 24, 2021
How Fentanyl Became One of the Biggest Causes of Drug Overdoses in the U.S. Dr. Traci Green, Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative talks to PEOPLE about how accidental fentanyl overdoses have increased in communities throughout the U.S. September 13, 2021
As Purdue Pharma prepares to dissolve, what will happen to its top-selling drug, OxyContin? In the Stamford Advocate, Dr. Andrew Kolodny shares his views on what needs to be done to reduce unnecessary exposure to opioids. September 12, 2021
History of Traumatic Brain Injury Linked to Higher Rate of Prescription Opioid Use And Misuse A new paper by Dr. Rachel Sayko Adams, in the Journal for Head Trauma Rehabilitation suggests adults with a history of traumatic brain injury are at a higher risk of prescription opioid use and misuse. September 07, 2021
Physician convicted of illegally prescribing opioids say the DEA has turned doctoring into 'another aspect of the war on drugs' In the Chicago Tribune, Dr. Andrew Kolodny says that "rapport" doesn't matter when a physician prescribes opioids; instead, physicians must make sure the benefits of the treatment outweigh the risks for that patient. July 28, 2021
Dr. Andrew Kolodny was quoted in a WGBH News segment, “Healey Says Sackler Family Trying To ‘Hijack and Abuse Bankruptcy Process’ To Shield Themselves.” June 3, 2021
Tip of the Week: Using Effective Management to Combat Substance Use Disorder and Other Public Health Concerns. June 3, 2021
WGBH News: Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, Dr. Andrew Kolodny says States Should Not Be in the Business of Profiting Off Future Sales of Opioids in Order to Address the Addiction Crisis. June 3, 2021.
Opioid Crisis Sparks Push to Return to 'Fundamentals of Pain Management' In the Middletown Press, Dr. Andrew Kolodny says Purdue pharma misled doctors into thinking patients were needlessly suffering from pain and that opioids were not addictive. July 01, 2021
Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association. May 2021. Fentanyl Test Strips Fact Sheet. Available at https://legislativeanalysis.org/fentanyl-test-strips-2/.
Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University shares his insights into the Opioid Epidemic in Alex Gibney’s two-part documentary "The Crime of the Century" which premieres in May 2021 on HBO Max
Dr. Andrew Kolodny Webinar Presentation for The IPRO Quality Innovation Network-Medicare Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIO) in response to Delivering Whole Person Care: Improving Outcomes in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment. "How Social Determinants of Health Impact the Opioid Crisis." May 25, 2021
Drug Expert: U.S. Needs an 'Operation Warp Speed' for Opioid Epidemic. On KPIX CBS SF Bay Area, Dr. Andrew Kolodny says for opioid deaths start to come down, it must be much easier for people to obtain treatment. May 17, 2021
Kaiser Health News, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, Dr. Andrew Kolodny discusses the prescription of opioids to patients struggling with COVID. University Doctors More Likely to Prescribe Opioids to Covid ‘Long Haulers,’ Raising Addiction Fears. April 28, 2021
'The Crime of the Century' Trailer: Doc Scrutinizes Big Pharma and Opioid Crisis. Rolling Stone shares the trailer for a new HBO documentary, "The Crime of the Century," which features expert commentary from Dr. Andrew Kolodny. April 23, 2021
Dr. Andrew Kolodny discusses One Year Later: The Opioid Epidemic During COVID-19 with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey as part of New Jersey's Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day. April 22, 2021
Reif, S. “Substance Use and Addiction Matter for I/DD and Brain Injury: A Workshop About Substance Use, Disorders and Treatment.” Webinar sponsored by Metrocare, Dallas, April 2021.
New Proposal Will Build on Opioid Patients Right to Know Act. In Legal Reader, Andrew Kolodny comments on the newly proposed Opioid Patients’ Right to Know Act, saying, "One of the best ways to do this is by making sure prescribers, patients and parents understand how highly addictive opioids are before a first prescription is ever written or filled." February 26, 2021
ABC News: Doctors who say no to opioid use face threats from patients interview with Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University Dr. Andrew Kolodny. February 14, 2021.
HBO Teams With Alex Gibney For Two-Part Opioid Epidemic Documentary 'The Crime Of The Century' Deadline announces a new HBO documentary by Alex Gibney, "The Crime of the Century," which will feature Dr. Andrew Kolodny as the film explores the origins and fallout of the opioid epidemic. February 11, 2021
Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University interviewed with WAMU 88.5 American University Radio, Washington’s NPR Station on How to Fight The Opioid Crisis in the Middle of a Pandemic. Some 81,000 people died of a drug overdose between May 2019 and May 2020. It’s the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period — and the main culprit was synthetic opioids. February 3, 2021
FDA's Janet Woodcock failed to stop the opioid epidemic. In USA Today, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University Dr. Andrew Kolodny says Janet Woodcock, the acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, "presided over the worst medical regulatory failure in U.S. history," failing to adequately control the opioid epidemic. February 3, 2021
Brandeis Opioid Policy Research Collaborative and partner awarded grant to continue fentanyl test strip distribution project December 21, 2020
The Opioid Policy Research Collaborative within the Institute of Behavioral Health at Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA and its partner, the Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI), were awarded a $299,000 grant from the University of Baltimore’s Center for Drug Policy and Prevention (CDPP) to mount a police-based program to save lives through outreach, distribution of fentanyl test strip (FTS) kits, and support to people at risk of opioid overdose. This project is a continuation of a successful pilot funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
The Brandeis evaluation team includes Mary Jo Larson, PhD’92 (evaluation director), Becca Olson, MPH (research associate) and Traci Green, PhD, MSc (senior advisor). The PAARI executive director is Allie Hunter, who operates police community initiatives across the nation. “Each death from an opioid overdose is a tragedy and is preventable. To intervene effectively requires treating people who use drugs as people, not criminals,” said Larson. “Through the One2One project, PAARI will provide the police with FTS kits and engagement strategies that will save lives and encourage use of health care resources.” The funds are from the federal Combating Opioid Overdose through Community-Level Interdiction (COCCLI) Initiative. This team is one of eight community-based programs across the nation that received awards totaling $1.5 million.
About PAARI
The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help law enforcement agencies nationwide create non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery. Founded alongside the groundbreaking Gloucester MA Police Department Angel Initiative in June 2015, PAARI has been a driving force behind this rapidly expanding community policing movement. We provide technical assistance, coaching, grants, and other capacity-building resources to more than 550 police departments in 35 states. We currently work with more than 130 law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts alone. PAARI and our law enforcement partners are working towards a collective vision where non-arrest diversion programs become a standard policing practice across the country, thereby reducing overdose deaths, expanding access to treatment, improving public safety, reducing crime, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, and increasing trust between law enforcement and their communities. Our programs and partners have saved thousands of lives, changed police culture, reshaped the national conversation about the opioid epidemic and have placed over 24,000 people into treatment since its founding in June 2015. Learn more at paariusa.org.
Larson, M.J., Huntington, N., De Jesús, D., Tschampl, C.A., Xu, Y., Canuto, M., D’Ippolito, M., Guzman, M., Stewart, E., and Lundgren, L. “Integration of Primary Care and Mental Health into a Hispanic Massachusetts Addiction Treatment Agency: Needs and Outcomes.” Presented at the AMERSA (the Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance Use and Addiction) 44th Annual Conference, November 2020.
Bohler, R., Thomas, C.P., Strickler, G., Clark, T., Horgan, C., and Kolodny, A. “Innovative Community-Based Responses to the Opioid Epidemic.” Poster presentation at the 2020 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, October 2020.
Huntington, N., Larson, M.J., De Jesús, D., Tschampl, C.A., Xu, Y., Canuto, M., D’Ippolito, M., Guzman, M., Stewart, E., and Lundgren, L. “Outcomes for Clients Experiencing Homelessness and Trauma in a Hispanic Massachusetts Addiction Treatment Agency Providing Integrated Primary and Mental Health Care.” Presented at AHSR (Addiction Health Services Research) Conference, October 2020.
In an interview with public radio, Background Briefing Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative (OPRC) at the Heller School, Brandeis University discusses the opioid trials and the future of big pharma. September 5, 2019.
Andrew Kolodny welcomes the verdict in the Johnson & Johnson ruling in the Oklahoma opioid trial as an opinion contributor in USA Today. August 29, 2019.
Andrew Kolodny, Co-Director of the Opioid Policy Research, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University presented “How the Opioid Lobby Protected the Status Quo” at the PharmedOut Opioids Conference at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC on June 13, 2019.
In a live radio interview Andrew Kolodny spoke with the Cats Roundtable at WNYM studio’s in NYC about how the FDA missed the chance to control the opioid epidemic, April 14, 2019.
“Harm Reduction in the Commonwealth: Analysis of Opportunities to Save Lives,” Omni Parker House, Boston, MA. December 3, 2024.
A presentation of the latest information on harm reduction strategies will be followed by a panel moderated by WBUR’s Martha Bebinger. The panel will include representation of people with lived experience, the legislature, public health, and the provider community. This work is supported through generous funding from RIZE Massachusetts Foundation. The Massachusetts Health Policy Forum is also supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Baystate Health.
AMERSA’s 48th Annual National Conference Chicago, IL. November 14-16, 2024.
Plenary Speaker, Traci Green, PhD, MSc. Empowering Change: From Evidence to Action in Addiction Care and Research.
APHA 2024 Annual Meeting and Expo, Minneapolis, MN. October 27-30, 2024
Presentations: Trends in substance use and routes of administration among people who use stimulants who survived a fentanyl overdose: Key findings from the 4th wave of the opioid overdose epidemic. Hughto JMW, Kelly PJA, Vento S, Pletta D, Noh M, Rich J, Silcox J, Silva V, Green TC.
Presentations: Self-reported pathways through which illicitly manufactured fentanyl enters the stimulant supply: Insights from people who use and distribute drugs. Kelly P, Green T, Rich J, Vento S, Noh M, Pletta D, Silcox J, Davis M, Toffey A, Silva V, Tobin S, Hughto J.
Presentation: Developing a Comprehensive Inventory to Define Harm Reduction Housing
Sofia Zaragoza, BA, Joseph Silcox, MA, Sabrina Rapisarda, MA, Patricia Case, MPH ScD, Clara To, Charlie Summers, MA, Sarah Kolawaski, Avik Chatterjee, MD, MPH, Traci C. Green PhD, MSc.
Department of Public Health, Substance Use Prevention & Harm Reduction (SUPHR) Philadelphia, PA. April 11-12, 2024
Presentation: Aim 2 Co-Design
Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc, Jamie Davis, BA.
RX Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, Atlanta, GA, April 1-4, 2024
Presentation: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice: Building Support for Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Jails and Prisons
Regina LaBelle, JD, Suzula Bidon, JD, MS, Peter J. Koutoujian, JD, MPA, Andrew Kolodny, MD
Presentation: Xylazine: Trends, Detection, and Responses.
Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc, Becca Olson, MPH, Mary Jo J. Larson, PhD, MPA
Together for Hope: Boston Addiction Conference 2024. Roxbury Community College in Boston. March 15-16, 2024. The Grayken Center for Addiction at Boston Medical Center hosted its inaugural two-day conference. Featuring Award-Winning Student Media Coverage of Event
Presentation: Exploring Harm Reduction Housing in the Greater Boston Area: A Comprehensive Overview
Joseph Silcox, MA, Sofia Zaragoza, BA, Sabrina Rapisarda, MA. M.Ed, Charlie Summers, BA, Patricia Case, ScD, MPH, Clara To, MSPH, Avik Chatterjee, MD, MPH, Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc
Presentation: Real Time, On-Site Drug Checking in Low-Threshold Housing Communities
Charlie Summers, BA, Joseph Silcox, MA, Sofia Zaragoza, BA, Sabrina Rapisarda, MA, M.Ed, Patricia Case, ScD, MPH, Abigail Edelmann, BS, Avik Chatterjee, MD, MPH, Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc
Presentation: Drug Checking Throughout the US and Latin America
Erin Thompson, MPH, Ju Nyeong Park, PhD, Jessica Tardif, BA, Traci Green, PhD, MSc
6th Annual University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix Research Symposium. January 26, 2024
Session: reimagine Health. Opioids: How the Science of Pain Managment and Addiction Can Impact Abuse
Presentation: Opioid Crisis Abatement: A Public Health Response to an Epidemic of Addiction, Andrew Kolodny, MD
American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting, Atlanta GA. November 12-15, 2023
Session: Opioids Poster Session 2: Harm Reduction
Program: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs
Presentation: Rapid Assessment of Consumer Knowledge Amid an Injection Drug Use-Driven HIV Outbreak in Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts: A Case Study
Sabrina S. Rapisarda, MA, MEd, Joseph Silcox, MA, Patricia Case, PhD, MPH, Thomas J. Stopka, PhD, MHS, Wilson R. Palacios, PhD, MA, Jaclyn M.W. Hughto, PhD, MPH, Shikar Shrestha, PhD, MPH, Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc
Session: Empirical Research in Public Health Law - Roundtable
Program: Law
Presentation: The Views and Experiences of Involuntary Civil Commitment in a Cross-Site Sample of People Who Use Drugs in Massachusetts
Joseph Silcox, MA, Sabrina Rapisarda, MA, M.Ed, Derek Bolivar, MS, Patricia Case, ScD, MPH, Stephanie Vento, BS, Jaclyn Hughto, PhD, MPH, Wilson Palacios, PhD, MA, Shikhar Shrestha, MS, PhD, Thomas J. Stopka, PhD, MHS, Traci Green, PhD, MSc
Session: Makeshift Medicine: Addressing Social Determinants in Practice
Program: Medical Care Section
Presentation: Self-Treatment of Injection-Related Infections in the Age of Fentanyl and Xylazine: An Application of the Makeshift Medicine Framework
Jaclyn Hughto, PhD, MPH, Patrick Kelly, MPH, Joseph Silcox, MA, Sabrina Rapisarda, MA, MEd, Wilson Palacios, PhD, MA, Thomas J. Stopka, PhD, MHS, Patricia Case, ScD, MPH, Traci Green, PhD, MSc
The International Drug Policy Reform Conference, Phoenix, AZ, October 20, 2023
Presentation: Will Drug Checking Save Us?
Moderator: Jennifer Carroll
Rae Elkasabany, Yarelix Estrada, Traci C. Green, Alejandra Medina, Samuel Tobias, Kenneth Washington
Addiction Health Services Research Conference (AHSR) New York, Oct 18-20, 2023
Presentation: A Qualitative Review of Policy Landscape: Facilitators and Barriers to Pharmacy-based Naloxone, Buprenorphine and Syringe Access Across Four-States
Joseph Silcox, MA, Gail Strickler, PhD, Anthony S. Floyd, PhD, Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, Mary Gray, Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc
Presentation: Responding to Xylazine: Preparing Police Responders to Assist People Who Use Drugs with Xylazine
Becca Olson, MPH, Mary Jo Larson, PhD, Zoe Grover, JD, Travis Rapoza, BA, Liz Leingang, Megan Reed, PhD, Tracy Esteves Camacho, MPH
Reagan Udell Foundation: Washington, DC. October 4, 2023
Presentation: Mitigating Risks from Human Xylazine Exposure, Current Landscape and Epidemiological Trends
Traci Green, PhD, MSc
Western Medicaid Pharmacy Administrators Association: Tucson, AZ. September 30-October 4, 2023
Presentation: Innovation and Opportunities for Pharmacy-Based Initiatives in Opioid Risk Prevention, Treatment, and Rescue
Traci Green, PhD, MSc
CDC Foundation, Atlanta, GA. August 18, 2023
Webinar Presentation: Community Drug Checking 101, Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream (MADDS). This training from subject matter experts from Brandeis University’s Opioid Policy Research Collaborative was ideal for staff looking for general background and fluency in community drug checking program characteristics and capacities and who have questions about current operations in US-based programs.
Traci Green PhD, MSc.
Becca Olson, MPH
OD2A Conference: Working Together to Reduce Harms.Atlanta GA. June 7, 2023
Presentation: Rapid Assessment of Consumer Knowledge (RACK) & The Integration of Drug Checking. (On Behalf of the RACK Project andOD2A Massachusetts teams)
Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc.
Presentation: Advanced Implementation of the Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream (MADDS): A State-Wide Public Health-Public Safety Partnership Drug Checking Program.
Becca Olson, MPH
Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc.
RX Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, Atlanta GA, April 10-13, 2023
Presentations: Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream: Implementing a Statewide Public Health and Public Safety Partnership to Check Drugs. April 12,2023.
A411. Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., Cole Jarczyk, BA.
Presenters/Description/Objectives: https://cdmcd.co/v9z98Z
Presentations: Stimulants in the Overdose Epidemic: Insights From The Stimulant Guide and Lessons From Massachusetts. April 12, 2023.
A411. Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., Jennifer Carroll, PhD, MPH., Sasha Mital, PhD, MPH. Presenters/Description/Objectives: https://cdmcd.co/J6A65E
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, ST. Louis University School of Medicine. March 2, 2023 Grand Rounds
Latest Aspects of the Opioid Crisis and Discussion of Evidence-Based Interventions to Bring the Crisis to an End.
Andrew Kolodny, MD.
AMERSA 46 Annual Conference, Boston, MA. November 10-12, 2022 Presentations
Best Research Abstract Award Winner
A Six-Site Evaluation of Innovation-Enhanced Harm Reduction Programming to Augment Services and Link to Care.
Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., Jennifer Carroll, MPH, PhD; Michelle McKenzie, MPH; Julie Burns
Drug Checking as an Enhancement to Mobile Medical and Harm Reduction Programming in Brockton, Massachusetts.
Kelly Celata, LADC, MSc; Allyson Pinkhover, MPH, CPhT, BS; Rebecca Olson, MPH; Laura Michaelson, MSW, LCSW; Cole Jarczyk, BA; Traci Green, PhD
Using Secret Shopping to Verify Naloxone and Nonprescription Syringe Access in Community Pharmacies.
Jeffrey Paul Bratberg, PharmD, Traci C Green, PhD, MSc., Derek Bolivar, BS, Mary Gray, PhD
Intervention to Improve Naloxone Dispensing, Non-Prescription Syringe Provision and Buprenorphine Access in Community Pharmacy Settings: A Multi-State Randomized Trial.
Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., Joe Silcox, MA., Derek Bolivar, BS, Jeffrey Paul Bratberg, PharmD, Mary Gray, PhD
Characteristics of Post-Overdose Outreach Programs and Municipal-Level Overdose in Massachusetts.
Simeon Kimmel, MA, MD; Ziming Xuan, ScD, SM; Shapei Yan, MPH; Scott W. Formica, PhD; Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc; Jennifer J. Carroll, PhD, MPH; Sarah M. Bagley, MD, MSc; Alexander Y. Walley, MD, MSc
APHA 2022 – Annual Meeting Expo, Boston, MA. November 6-9, 2022 Presentations
Intervention to Improve Naloxone Dispensing, Non-Prescription Syringe Provision and Buprenorphine Accessing Community Pharmacy Settings: Initial Results from a Multi-State Randomized Trial.
Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., Joseph W Silcox, MA, Derek Bolivar, BS, Jeffrey Paul Bratberg, PharmD, Mary Gray, PhD
Harm Reduction ‘Policing’ through Fentanyl Test Strip Kit Distribution
Joe Silcox, MA, Rebecca Olson, MPH, Mary Jo Larson, PhD, Emily Cummins, PhD, Vanessa Lopes-McCoy, MS, Traci Green, PhD, MSc
"Like Just Another Prescription”: Barriers and Facilitators to Community Pharmacy-Based Naloxone and Non-Prescription Syringe Access”
Joe Silcox, MA., Sarah S. Shinn, MA, Mary Gray, PhD , Diana Flores, MS, Derek Bolivar, BS, Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc
Providers Clinical Support System (PCSS), November 2, 2022
“Buprenorphine and Chronic Pain”
Roundtable Series: " Recognizing the role of using Buprenorphine to improve outcomes in opioid dependent, chronic pain patients”
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Andrew Kolodny
RIZE: Harm Reduction Workforce Webinar. October 20, 2022 Presentation
Supporting the Harm Reduction Workforce Webinar
Presenter: Karen Donelan, ScD, EdM
Moderator and Senior Correspondent and host at WBUR: Deb Becker
Featuring Harm Reductionists: Sarah Mackin of AHOPE, Kim Powers of Access HOPE, and Ismael “Izzy” Rivera of the Justice Resource Institute.
13th National Harm Reduction Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico. October 13-16, 2022 Presentations
Understanding and Responding to the Rise in Overdose Deaths Among Black and Hispanic People Who Use Drugs in Massachusetts: Rapid Assessment of Consumer Knowledge (RACK) Study
Joe Silcox, MA., Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc.
Implementation of the Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream (MADDS): A State-Wide Public Health-Public Safety Partnership Community Drug Checking Program
Becca Olson, MPH, Cole Jarczyk, BA., Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc.
Street Check: A Mobile Application Supporting Community Drug Checking
Cole Jarczyk, BA., Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc.
Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), October 6, 2022
“Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series
Webinar: "Where We Stand & How We Move Forward”
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Andrew Kolodny
Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE), NYC Sept 8, 2022
Program Advisory Panel Meeting: “The Role Pharmacists Can Play in Addressing the Opioid and Overdose Crisis.”
Expert Panel Invitation: Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc.
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, PCSS (Providers Clinical Support System) Clinical Roundtable Discussions, Rhode Island: Featured speaker, Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, Heller School for Social Policy and Management presented “The Current State of the Opioid Crisis.” June 1, 2022
The Council to Prevent Opioid Dependence, Rhode Island: Featured speaker, Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, Heller School for Social Policy and Management presented “Current State of the Opioid Epidemic.” May 17, 2022
RX Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, Atlanta GA, April 18-21, 2022
Presentations
Post-Overdose Outreach Program in Massachusetts
A411. Scott W. Formica, PhD., Jennifer J. Carroll, PhD, MPH., Ziming Xuan, ScD., Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc. April 20, 2022
Fentanyl Test Strips for Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention: Research and Legislative Update
A311-312. Sofia Campos, MPH, BSN – ICF., Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., Jon Woodruff, Esq., Stephanie Noblit, Esq., MLS (ASCP)CM. April 19, 2022
Findings From Respond to Prevent: A Four-State Study to Improve Provision of Naloxone, Buprenorphine, and Nonprescription Syringes in Community Pharmacies
BR-E. Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., Jeffrey P. Bratberg, PharmD, FAPhA., Adriane N. Irwin, MS, PharmD, BCACP., Anthony Floyd, PhD. April 19, 2022
Invited speaker, Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, Heller School for Social Policy and Management presented at the 2022 POLITICO Health Care Summit, From Shadows to Solutions: The Future of U.S. Healthcare. The Shadow Pandemic: America’s Mental Health Crisis session. March 31, 2022
Invited speaker, Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of Opioid Policy Research Collaborative spoke about the Prescription Opioid and Heroin Crisis and presented “Responding to the Prescription Opioid and Heroin Crisis: An Epidemic of Addiction” at the Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning (BOLLI) Program. March 25, 2022.
