News and Events
OPRC in the News
2024 News
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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
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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 on February 25, 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.
- WGBH: Worcester health workers detect animal tranquilizer mixed with opioids [brandeis.us2.list-manage.com]. Opioid Policy Research Collaborative Director Dr. Traci Green quoted. August 16, 2024
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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.
- WGBH: Scientists blast FDA approval of genetic test for opioid addiction. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director for the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Heller, spoke to WGBH about AvertD, a DNA test that promises to assess genetic risk of opioid addiction. Kolodny is among a group of scientists who sent a letter to the FDA asking the agency to rescind its approval of the test. April 4, 2024
- 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
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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
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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
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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
- Boston Globe: Narcan Save Lives, But Finding It Can Be Onerous in Massachusetts Opioid Policy Research Collaborative Director Dr. Traci Green says the stigma of needing the overdose-reversal drug naloxone makes it difficult for patients to navigate barriers to obtaining the drug in pharmacies. January 18, 2024
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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
- Boston Globe: Carrying fentanyl test strips could lead to arrest. Now, Mass. lawmakers could legalize them. Opioid Policy Research Collaborative director Dr. Traci Green quoted. January 4, 2024
2023 News
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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
- WBUR Boston: Test Strips for the Dangerous Street Drug Xylazine Could Save Lives. Professor Dr. Traci Green of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, in collaboration with Massachusetts Department of Public Health, is using a grant to assess the effectiveness of the test strips. And the school’s street drug-checking program was the first to detect xylazine on the rise in Massachusetts in 2020. “If not for drug-checking data, we would be completely in the dark about xylazine’s presence in the commonwealth,” Dr. Green told state lawmakers in June. July 6, 2023
- NBC News: Full panel: To address fentanyl crisis, ‘we need a cultural change’
Featuring research conducted by Dr. Andrew Kolodny, medical director for the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. July 2, 2023 - ProPublica/Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative: Dr. Andrew Kolodny, co-director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, discussed the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s recently announced partnership with DisposeRX, a company whose products OPRC has weighed in on in the past. Dr. Kolodny agrees that leftover pills contribute to the spread of addiction but he says products like DisposeRx are unnecessary because the CDC already encourages anyone who's at the end of a prescription opioid treatment to "flush them down the toilet." May 15, 2023
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Dr. Traci Green and colleagues have prepared the new Stimulant Guide for the CDC in which was just released on February 13, 2023.
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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
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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
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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
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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
- MedPage Today: What Doctors Should Know About Xylazine in Fentanyl. Dr Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director and Senior Scientist with the Brandeis Opioid Policy Research Collaborative is quoted saying, "Xylazine is Making the Opioid Crisis Worse." As featured in Heller in the News February 2, 2023
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Best Practice Guidance for Post-Overdose Outreach New guidance summary in collaboration with the Grayken Center for Addiction, Boston Medical Center. March 15, 2023
Alexander Walley, MD., Traci C. Green, PhD., Mary Wheeler, Brandon Del Pozo, PhD. -
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
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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
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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
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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
2022 News
- New York Times: A High-Tech Strategy for Keeping Drug Users Safe: Analyzing Their Fentanyl. Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., an epidemiologist at Brandeis University who leads a drug checking program in Massachusetts that collects samples from harm reduction groups and law enforcement agencies, said that when government agencies and drug users communicated about what was in the drug supply, local authorities were less likely to caricature drug use. Machines that examine samples of drugs can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, but experts say they are an increasingly vital tool in stemming overdoses. Dec. 24, 2022
- Scientific American: The Opioid Epidemic Is Surging Among Black People Because of Unequal Access to Treatment Dr. Andrew Kolodny is quoted on the racism and stigma that are baked into the traditional opioid treatment model, which was developed decades ago. December 1, 2022
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
- ASAM Weekly-Lead Story: Estimating Naloxone Need in the United States. Traci Green, Ph.D., MSc, Professor, and Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative. March 1, 2022
- Everyday Health. Nearly all U.S. States Need More Naloxone to Combat Opioid Overdose Deaths. Traci Green, Ph.D., MSc, Professor, and Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management is quoted. Feb. 16, 2022.
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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
- The Hill. Increase in Naloxone Accessibility Needed in Almost Every US State to Combat Opioid Overdoses. “Our study provided estimates for naloxone needs by state, but a consistent national framework for reporting opioid overdoses and tracking community-based and pharmacy-initiated naloxone distribution is also urgently needed to inform policies and allocate resources that will finally turn the tide on this unprecedented epidemic,” Dr Traci Green, Ph.D., MSc, February 11, 2022.
- New Study Shows Major Shortage of Naloxone in Nearly Every U.S. State.
In 2021, a record 100,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. – the vast majority of them of opioids, and increasingly from the potent drug fentanyl. Access to the life-saving medication naloxone, which is used to reverse opioid overdoses, has expanded across communities as a key public health response to these trends. A new study in The Lancet Public Health journal answers a question that has long confounded the public health community: How much naloxone do states need to turn the tide on the ever-growing opioid overdose epidemic?
The research team, led by Professor Traci Green of Brandeis University’s Opioid Policy Research Collaborative and Michael Irvine of Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, developed a mathematical modelcompanion website that generates nuanced data on naloxone need in all 50 U.S. states. In The Lancet Public Health journal, Professor Traci Green identifies where the life-saving opioid overdose antidote is needed most. February 11, 2022. - Boston 25 News: Study Shows That States Need More Naloxone and Redirection to Community Programs.A conversation with Traci Green, Ph.D., MSc, Professor, and Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management is quoted. February 10, 2022.
- The Washington Post: CDC Proposes New Prescription Opioid Guidelines for Caregivers. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of Brandeis University’s Opioid Policy Research Collaborative was quoted. February 10, 2022.
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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.
- Cleveland.com: Ohio Doctors, Pharmacists Cut Back on the Dispensing of Prescription Opioids in 2021, Continuing a Years Long Trend Dr. Andrew Kolodny is quoted in saying that prescribing opioids is trending in the right direction. January 17, 2022
2021 News
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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
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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
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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
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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
- WBUR: As stimulant use and deaths increase, Mass. launches commission to find solutions Dr. Traci Green, Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management warned about a range of illicit drug issues beyond meth and stimulants. She also found fentanyl in 26% of counterfeit pills, typically pain medications, sold on the streets. A fake Adderall pill contained meth, and a fake benzo included an anti-anxiety medication not approved in the U.S. December 9, 2021
- New York Times: Overdoses have skyrocketed during the pandemic. How do we stop them? Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management is quoted . December 3, 2021
- On Dec 1, 2021 the OPRC was awarded with a new contract to conduct a study: "The Massachusetts Harm Reduction Workforce: Current State and Future Needs" for the RIZE Massachusetts Foundation. Karen Donelan, ScD, Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc will be implementing the study along with other key advisors at IBH including Mary Jo Larson, PhD., Cindy Thomas, PhD., Connie Horgan, ScD.
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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
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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
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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
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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
- The Hill: Deaths by drug overdose spike to record high in U.S. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management is quoted, "We’ve been in the midst of a severe crisis that’s getting worse and getting worse fast.” Nov. 17, 2021
- The New York Times: Overdose deaths reached record high as the pandemic spread. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Heller School for the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University talks about how the stress and isolation of the pandemic exacerbated risks of relapse for those suffering from addiction. November 17, 2021
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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
- MarketWatch: Opioid addiction is a risk for older Americans — what you need to know Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Heller School for the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University talks about the risk of addiction seniors can face when prescribed opioids for pain relief.. October 29, 2021
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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
- NBC News: Scientists Eye Opioid Vaccine as a Shot to Stem Overdose Epidemic The vast majority of people who are dying of opioid overdoses are those with a physical dependency, said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Heller School for the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University. October 1, 2021
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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
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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
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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
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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
- NPR Health: Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School, Brandeis University quoted the need for true 'public health response' Black Opioid Overdose Deaths Are Increasing Faster Than Whites, Study Finds. September 10, 2021
- Newsweek: Study Finds People Suffering Traumatic Brain Injuries Are More at Risk of Opioid Abuse. Scientists from Brandeis University found a unique pattern of behaviors including a large vulnerability to pain and substance abuse associated with TBIs created a "perfect storm" for opioid-related abuse and overdose. September 8, 2021
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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
- The New York Times: America Desperately Needs a Much Better FDA “What we’ve seen since the 1990s is an F.D.A. that has been putting industry interests consistently ahead of public health,” said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Directior of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School, Brandeis University who has studied how the agency’s failures contributed to the opioid crisis. September 2, 2021
- The Biden Administration Is Rejecting "The War On Drugs" And Turning To "Harm Reduction" In Buzzfeed, Dr. Traci Green says the federal government is taking an important step toward correcting laws that treat overdoses as criminal acts rather than health events. August 02, 2021
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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
- NY Fox 5 News: CDC: Overdose deaths increased by 30% during pandemic. Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, Dr. Andrew Kolodny says that the opioid crisis has continued to worsen during the pandemic but if treatment becomes easier to access and fentanyl becomes harder to access, deaths should decrease. July 15, 2021
- AG Healey Announces Resolution With Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family for Their Role in the Opioid Crisis Resolution Secures Unprecedented Public Disclosure; $4.3 Billion from the Sacklers for Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery; Purdue Will Cease to Exist and Sacklers Banned from Opioid Business. Office of Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. July 8, 2021
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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
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Tip of the Week: Using Effective Management to Combat Substance Use Disorder and Other Public Health Concerns. June 3, 2021
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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.
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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
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Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association. May 2021. Fentanyl Test Strips Fact Sheet. Available at https://legislativeanalysis.org/fentanyl-test-strips-2/.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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'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
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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
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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.
- The OPRC has joined 48+ other organizations in supporting the principles for the use of funds in opioid litigation settlement on John Hopkins website: Principles for the Use of Funds From the Opioid Litigation) AND the Brandeis Opioid Resource Connector (BORC) is featured in the Evidence-Based Interventions Resources page noted on the site. April 6, 2021
- Retail Politics Podcast with Gerry Shields interviews Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University March 21, 2021. on the Politics of the Opioid Crisis
- Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University and CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta interviewed with CNN’s podcast, “Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction.” March 18, 2021. The Perfect Storm
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
- Mary Jo Larson, Senior Scientist of Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management publishes cover article Opioid prescribing for surgical dental procedures in dental clinics of military treatment facilities in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) February 1, 2021.
2020 News
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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. - Increase in Fatal Drug Overdoses Across the United States Driven by Synthetic Opioids Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. December 17, 2020
- Middlesex Sheriff’s Office Awarded $1.15 Million Federal Grant to Address Opioid Use Disorder
The Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program (COSSAP) grant was awarded to the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The funding will be used to launch the Involving Families in Treatment of Inmates with Opioid Use Disorder Project. The project will be advised and evaluated by OPRC's Dr. Andrew Kolodny and Dr. Gail Strickler of Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management. November 17, 2020. - Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University interviewed with EveryDay Health, Opioid Crisis Response Leaves Black Americans Behind. November 9, 2020
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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.
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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.
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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.
- Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University interviewed with MedPage Enterprise & Investigative Reporting, OxyContin Maker to Take Plea on Federal Criminal Charges October 21, 2020
- Medscape Medical News, Reworked OxyContin Fails to Cut Overall Opioid Abuse, FDA Panel Says, September 14, 2020
- Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University interviewed with MedPage Today, FDA Panel: Reformulated OxyContin Did Not Reduce Overall Abuse offered that "Purdue would like medical community regulators and the public to believe that the opioid crisis is a drug abuse problem," said Dr. Kolodny, speaking on behalf of the organization Physicians for Responsible Prescribing. "But we don't have an epidemic of drug abuse," Dr. Kolodny continued. "We have an epidemic of opioid use disorder." September 11, 2020
- The National Conference on Addiction Disorders (NCAD) along with the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit announces Brandeis University Launches Site to Help Communities Formulate Opioid Crisis Response . The Brandeis Opioid Resource Connector (BORC) website provides 150 community-based program models for initiatives and policies to reduce opioid addiction and overdose, as well as 500 additional resources, including toolkits, reports, peer-reviewed articles, and data and mapping assets, and COVID-19-specific tools. August 6, 2020
- In Bloomberg Law, Drug Overdose Deaths Hit All-Time Record Before Coronavirus , Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative says the rise in drug overdose deaths in recent years is probably the result of a drop in price and an increase in the potency of certain drugs, namely opioids and methamphetamine. July 15, 2020
- New online tool to help communities respond to the opioid crisis, with COVID-19-related resources led by Dr. Cindy Parks Thomas, Associate Dean for Research and Professor at the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy and Research, Brandeis University, offers communities models for initiatives and policies aimed at reducing opioid addiction and overdose. The Brandeis Opioid Resource Connector (BORC) website (opioid-resource-connector.org) offers stakeholders more than 150 community-based program models across the continuum of care, which can serve as models for initiatives and policies aimed at reducing opioid addiction and overdose. July 08, 2020
- In Memory of Aubri Esters The OPRC mourns the loss of our friend and colleague Aubri Esters. Aubri was an amazing member of our study team for three years, and a fierce advocate for the rights, health and dignity of people who use drugs. She is greatly missed. June 14, 2020
- Dr. Traci Green, Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, puts public health first with new services for users to test their drugs. Tracking Fentanyl in the Drug Supply, June 03, 2020
- Dr. Traci Green, Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, told The Daily Beast that community programs should push to secure as much naloxone as possible and provide easy access to treatment in light of stimulus checks. Don’t Forget the Other Pandemic Killing Thousands of Americans, May 4, 2020
- Could ICE detention centers be the next coronavirus hotbed? In the Hill, Dr. Traci Green, Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University says keeping immigrants in detention is exacerbating what is already a public health crisis, and her team recommends a prompt widespread release of immigrants from these dangerous environments. April 29, 2020
- The Government Accountability Project released a statement with Dr. Traci Green offering analysis on Study Projects Significant Impact on Immigrants and Local Health Care if ICE Detention Populations are not Decreased. April 27, 2020
- The Metro of Cleveland.com interviewed Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative in a discussion of how much more needs to be done with respect to the Opioid epidemic. Ohio doctors, pharmacies slash number of opioid pills distributed last year [posted April 8, 2020]; updated April 16, 2020
- A new study from Dr. Andrew Kolodny, shows that a New Jersey law requiring conversations between prescribers and patients to discuss risks of addiction before an opioid-based pain reliever is prescribed resulted in a significant drop in patients started on opioids. Brandeis University Study Shows Few Opioid Prescribers Warned Patients of Risk of Addiction Before State Requirement April 15, 2020
- P.A.A.R.I. Announces Fentanyl Test Strip Pilot Project The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) announces that Dr. Traci Green, is the principal investigator of a three-month pilot project with 11 Massachusetts police departments to utilize fentanyl test strips as a new tool to engage people with opioid use disorder and help prevent overdose deaths. April 3, 2020
- Bloomberg Law interviewed Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative to discuss are pharmaceutical companies becoming self-assured of profits in the Opioid settlements? March 31, 2020
- Boston 25 News sat down with Dr. Traci Green, Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative to discuss how availability of test strips could prevent overdose. Testing drugs could be key to preventing overdoses, March 9, 2020
- Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Center at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management was interviewed last month by INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine in response to public policy schools biggest issues facing the healthcare system. Public Policy Schools Create Research Centers to Help Solve Some of the Nation’s Most Pressing Problems, February 11, 2020
- Lifespan reports on a new study from Dr. Traci Green, Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative that shows how portable field devices can be used to test street drugs for the presence of fentanyl, Study led by R.I. Hospital researcher: portable devices can detect fentanyl in street drugs, January 27, 2020
- Methadone can help people beat opioid addiction - if they can afford it. In Vox, Institute for Behavioral Health Associate Director Sharon Reif explains that while methadone treatment might help people with an opioid addiction save money and get off opioids, not everyone can use this option, January 1
- How racial bias shielded thousands of black Americans from the opioid crisis, Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Center at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, January 3, 2020
2019 News
- The Boston Globe reports that Traci Green, the new Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, will work with the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative to deploy more sophisticated testing technology for street drugs, Mass. to Open Monitoring Centers for Drug Users who Overdose, December 24, 2019.
- In the Heller Magazine 2019 Winter Edition, Maria Madison, ScD in Public Health is Heller’s Associate Dean for equity, inclusion and diversity and Andrew Kolodny, Senior Scientist and Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative (OPRC) at the Heller School, Brandeis University discuss how the prevailing narrative around the opioid addiction epidemic fails to recognize its effects on nonwhite populations, Perspectives: Bridging the Disparities Gap in the Opioid Crisis, December 19, 2019
- Buzzfeed News: This was the decade drug overdoses killed nearly half a million Americans, Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the OPRC at the Heller School quoted, December 6, 2019
- New York Times: Tufts removes Sackler name over opioids: ‘Our students find it objectionable’ Andrew Kolodny, Senior Scientist and Medical Director of the OPRC at the Heller School quoted, December 5, 2019
- Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative (OPRC) at the Heller School, Brandeis University quoted in New York Times: A rare case where racial bias protected African-Americans, December 2, 2019
- Wall Street Journal: Major League Baseball close to a new opioids policy, Senior scientist and Medical Director of the OPRC Andrew Kolodny quoted November 27, 2019
- Senior Scientist Andrew Kolodny says settling opioid-related cases prevents the public from learning more about the opioid crisis and how it came into existence. The opioid settlement will fund desperate counties—but could come at a steep cost, October 21, 2019.
- PolitiFact: Opioid epidemic shifts from prescription painkillers to street drugs, Andrew Kolodny of the Heller School quoted. October 14, 2019
- Discussion with Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative (OPRC) at the Heller School, Brandeis University in the BBC Documentary: Addicted: America's Opioid Crisis. Oct 2, 2019
- Researchers from the Opioid Policy Research Center presented at the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum in Western Mass on September 6, 2019. The forum, “Addressing the Opioid Crisis in Small and Rural Communities in Western Massachusetts,” at the UMass Amherst Campus Center concentrated on the numerous ways in which the Opioid crisis has impacted Western Massachusetts, with particular attention paid to the social and economic consequences on employers and small and rural communities. Unique challenges and innovative solutions were equally highlighted in the discussion.
- Andrew Kolodny was recently interviewed by the Brandeis Hoot Newspaper. Professor testifies in lawsuit, J&J pays $572 million, September 6, 2019
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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.
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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 discusses U.S. Opioid Prescribing in the British Medical Journal. August 22, 2019.
- Los Angeles Times, Associated Press article: Andrew Kolodny, Co-Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative (OPRC) at the Heller School, Brandeis University is quoted on Florida "pill mills" were "gas on the fire" of the opioid crisis. July 20, 2019.
- In the New York Times: The Upshot, Opioid Policy Research Collaborative Co-Chair Andrew Kolodny says there’s a light at the end of the tunnel regarding the opioid crisis, but that the death toll is still very high. July 17, 2019.
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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 an interview with WBUR Andrew Kolodny comments on the Care Zone van at North Station in Boston, MA, June 12, 2019.
- As an expert witness on the opioid crisis Andrew Kolodny reviews discovery documents for a historic trial in Oklahoma. June 11.2019.
- In interview with WBUR Andrew Kolodny is quoted on prescribing patterns of buprenorphine. May 8, 2019.
- Andrew Kolodny told an Rx Summit audience that it is time to close the cash pipeline that helped feed the opioid epidemic in his discussion of the Opioid Makers' Deception Merits Dramatic Responses. April 24, 2019
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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.
- Eyewitness News Anchor, Diana Williams will host a WABC-TV special program Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 7:00PM, Protect Our Children: The Opioid Crisis. As part of the program she will interview Andrew Kolodny, co-director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative (OPRC) at the Heller School, Brandeis University.
- Proto - Massachusetts General Hospital//Dispatches from the Frontiers of Medicine - Andrew Kolodny weighs in on disciplining physicians for over-prescribing opioids. Published January 22, 2019.
- Cummings to Reveal Witnesses for Drug Pricing Hearing. Andrew Kolodny comments on price hikes, published January 14, 2019.
- Former Insys CEO Pleads Guilty to Bribery Scheme. Doctors, pharmacists, and other medical professionals caught up in a marketing scheme. Andrew Kolodny weighs in on the investigations, published January 9, 2019.
2018 News
- Redefining Opioid Addiction Treatment. An interview with Cindy Parks Thomas, Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant awarded to Brandeis researchers Dr. Cindy Thomas and Dr. Andrew Kolodny are co-PIs of the newly funded Brandeis Opioid Research Clearinghouse project.
- Why is the Opioid Epidemic Still Happening? Andrew Kolodny is on air with Chris McGreal, Mary Bono and Ryan Hampton in the NPR NY Studios.
- Andrew Kolodny is quoted is the Health & Science section of the Washington Post, Facing an overdose epidemic, some ERs now offer addiction treatment.
- Joanne Nicholson, professor of the practice at the Institute for Behavioral Health, has received a PCORI Engagement Award on Mothers Using Opioids. This is a 2-year project totaling $250,000 of funding through the Eugene Washington Engagement Awards program, an initiative of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The funds will support Creating a Community with Mothers with Mental Illness Using Opioids.
- The Opioid Policy Research Collaborative is cited in the Washington Post article, The Health 202: Senators to vote on opioid package. But big hurdles remain.
- Andrew Kolodny comments on new study in this September 18, 2018 article in Health News by Gigen Mammoser.
- Boston Globe - To sway doctors, Purdue Pharma turned up the pressure.
- Stat News - Purdue cemented ties with universities and hospitals to expand opioid sales, documents contend.
- Wired - Pharma spending on doctors is correlated with opioid deaths.
- WLRN - County by county, researchers link opioid deaths to drugmakers' marketing.
- Lowell Sun - Seeking solutions, legislator proposes tax on legal opioids
- Baltimore Sun - The story of a Maryland cop who went from a decorated commander to raiding evidence rooms for drugs.
- Axios - Why states might start taxing opioids
- The Washington Post - Dental painkillers may put young people at risk of opioid addiction
- Vox - A Vermont needle exchange isn't just giving out syringes. It's offering treatment on the spot.
- The Atlantic - America's health-care system is making he opioid crisis worse
- Vox - Solving America's painkiller paradox
- The New York Times - Snaring doctors and drug dealers, Justice Department intensifies opioid fight
- The New York Times - FDA did not intervene to curb risky fentanyl prescriptions
- Vox - Opioid addiction is plateauing. But the crisis isn't over.
- The Atlantic -An 'overprescription of opioids' that led to a crisis
- The New York Times -Prescribing opioids: How many are too many?
- Andrew Kolodny delivered the keynote address at the 2018 Brandeis University Global Youth Summit on the Future of Medicine on Monday, June 25.
- OPRC Co-Director, Andrew Kolodny, to be Keynote Speaker at Learn to Cope conference.
Knowledge is Power
Conference for Families Struggling with Addiction Shortening the Path to Recovery
Saturday, June 16, 2018
7:45AM - 3:30PM
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA - Forbes - NIH targets $500 Million At Opioid Crisis, Andrew Kolodny comments on research plan for the NIH HEAL Initiative. June 12, 2018
- Massachusetts to sue Purdue Pharma
Andrew Kolodny joins Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy as she announces plans for state to sue Purdue Pharma executives over false statements and marketing practices for OxyContin. June 12, 2018. Boston, MA - CNN - This is how lawmakers plan to end the opioid crisis
- PBS - Purdue Pharma promoted OxyContin for years. Now, it is combating the opioid crisis
- CNN - CNN Exclusive: The more opioids doctors prescribe, the more money they make
- The Daily Independent - Some get rich as opioid addicts suffer
- CNN - FDA to broaden access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction
- The New York Times - F.D.A. to Expand Medication-Assisted Therapy for Opioid Addicts
- The New York Times - How a Police Chief, a Governor and a Sociologist Would Spend $100 Billion to Solve the Opioid Crisis
- CBS News - OxyContin maker says it will stop promoting drugs to doctors amid opioid epidemic
- Vox - Congress's budget deal doesn't do enough to fight the opioid crisis
- Morning Consult - Voters Split Over Trump's Response to the U.S. Opioid Epidemic
- USA Today - With 175 Americans dying a day, what are the solutions to the opioid epidemic?
- NBC News - Can commissioner Scott Gottlieb undo FDA missteps in opioid crisis?
- POLITICO - First There Was Prince. Now Tom Petty. When Will America Finally Wake Up to the Opioid Crisis?
- NPR - Walmart Offers Product to Destroy Leftover Opioids, But Critics Say It's Unnecessary
- Vox - Senate Republicans are trying to blame Medicaid for the opioid epidemic
2017 News
- Massachusetts sues Purdue Pharma: Andrew Kolodny speaks at press conference with Attorney General Maura Healy
- Psychology Today - New Insights Into the Long-Term Toll of Opioids
- Daily Beast - Kids Are Getting Needlessly Exposed to Opioids From Routine Wisdom Tooth Removal
- STAT - Pressure builds on the DEA to stem the supply of prescription drugs, but at what cost?
- Vox - On opioids, the White House keeps talking and planning — but not doing anything of significance
- Healthline - Doctors Urged to Reduce Opioids After Surgery
- Newsweek - Cocaine is killing black people almost as much as prescription opioids kill white people, new study shows
- Delaware Public Media - Nat'l expert on opioid crisis offers perspective on its impact in Delaware
- Newsweek - FDA Approves Injectable Opioid To Help Fight America's Drug Crisis
- Forbes - Could Marijuana Replace Opioids As A Painkiller? Experts Are Skeptical
- Bloomberg - Millions of Patients Face Pain and Withdrawal as Opioid Prescriptions Plummet
- The New York Times - C.D.C. Reports a Record Jump in Drug Overdose Deaths Last Year
- Reuters - Substituting Methadone for Opioids Could Save Billions
- Bloomberg - Millions of Face Pain and Withdrawal as Opioid Prescriptions Plummet
- Inc. - 8 Startups Fighting America’s Opioid Epidemic
- WBUR - Some Experts See Opioid Addiction Stemming From Prescriptions As A Medical Error
- The Washington Post - Steps the U.S. government should take right now against the opioid epidemic
- The Conversation - The Opioid Epidemic in 6 Charts
- WNYC - Addiction Nation: Understanding America’s Opioid Crisis
- The New Yorker - The Family That Built an Empire of Pain
- TIME Magazine - President Trump Revealed His Plan to Deal With the Opioid Crisis. Here’s What Experts Think
- MedPage Today - Panel: No Age Limit to Opioid Abuse
- PBS News Hour - What happens now that the opioid crisis is officially a public health emergency?
- The New York Times - Opioids on the Quad
- CNN - CVS will limit opioid prescriptions to 7 days
- Glamour - Women and Opioids: Inside the Deadliest Drug Epidemic in American History
- The New York Times - Amid Opioid Crisis, Insurers Restrict Pricey, Less Addictive Painkillers
- The Guardian - These mothers saw the opioid epidemic before anyone else. No one listened.
- Bloomberg - Surviving an opioid overdose may soon depend on where you live
- Andrew Kolodny on “Matter of Fact w/Soledad O’Brien: State of Addiction”
- The Cape Cod Times - Doctor: Overprescribing contributing to opiate epidemic
- NPR's MORNING EDITION - Should the Opioid Crisis be Declared a National Emergency?
- VOX - How to Stop the Deadliest Drug Overdose Crisis in American History
- NPR - Opioid Prescriptions Falling But Remain Too High, CDC Says
- CNN - How Tapering Off Opioids Can Help People with Chronic Pain
- CNN - Doctors Increasingly Face Charges for Patient Overdoses
- Minnesota Public Radio News - Should the Opioid Crisis be Considered a National Emergency?
- WBUR - White House Opioid Commission Calls on Trump to Declare National Emergency
- New York Daily News - Trump Drug Commission Report on Opioid Crisis Met With Mixed Reactions
- NPR - Opioid prescriptions falling but remain too high, CDC says
- VICE on HBO - Heroin Crisis and the New Age of Nukes
- Washington Post Live - Addiction in America
- The New York Times - As opioid panel meets, some say action, not study, is needed
- St. Louis Post Dispatch - Drug Monitoring in Missouri - It Takes Two
- Behavioral Healthcare Executive - How Effective are PDMPs?
- Triad Business Journal - OxyContin maker launches initiative to tackle opioid crisis in North Carolina
OPRC Events
Events
- The PAARI Leadership Awards: Tampa River Center in Tampa, Florida on February 25, 2025.
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. -
“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. - Invited Speaker, Traci Green, PhD, MSc. The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) Emerging Threats Symposium. September 10th, 2024.
Presentation: Xylazine + Stimulant Use Disorder. Justin Alves and Traci Green, PhD, MSc. - ADLM 2024 (Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine), McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL. July 28-August 1, 2024.
Presentation: Responding to the Threat of Xylazine and Drug Supply Adulteration: Clinical Testing Strategies and Empowering Point-of-Service Community Drug Checking. Adina Badea, PhD, DABCC, Rachel S. Wightman, MD FACMT, Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc. - CPDD Montreal, Canada, June 15-19, 2024
Oral Session: More Than a Soda Fountain: Pharmacy in Harm Reduction
Chair: Suzanne Nielsen, Co-Chair: Traci Green
Speaker: Traci Green, Xylazine: State of the Science Detection and Evolution of Xylazine in the Drug supply: Findings from Community Drug Checking Services Symposium
Presentation: Secret Shopping to Assess Real-World Access to Over-The-Counter Naloxone in Community Pharmacies.
Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., Joseph Silcox, MA, Jessie Boggis, MPH, Anthony Floyd, PhD, Adriane Irwin, MS, PharmD, Ryan N. Hansen, PharmD, Sofia Zaragoza, BA, Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, FAPhA.
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. - Anonymous Sister Film Documentary: Representative Paul D. Tonko (D-NY-20th District), Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), and the Congressional Addiction Treatment and Recovery Caucus brings attention to a special presentation of the critically-acclaimed documentary film Anonymous Sister. A young woman's firsthand account of what will become the deadliest man-made epidemic in United States history. Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, moderates a conversation with Jamie Boyle (Director, Anonymous Sister) and Dr. Andrew Kolodny on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. April 29, 2024
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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, MScPresentation: 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 - Louisiana Opioid Action Summit Webinar, Lafayette, LA. July 12, 2023
Presentation: Implementing a Statewide Community Drug Checking Program: Opportunities, Challenges, and Successes
Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc. -
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. - 2023 Overdose Response Strategy Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, May 2-4, 2023
Presentation: MADDS Expansion: I-91 Project. May 2, 2023
Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., Becca Olson, MPH., James G. Downes, III, MS., Stephanie Thompson, MPA. -
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 -
Webinar: Post Overdose Outreach Presentation & Discussion, March 15, 2023
Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Vienna, Austria. The 66TH Session of The Commission on Narcotic Drugs. March 15, 2023
Presentation: PRONTO Best Practice Guidance for Post-Overdose Outreach
Alex Walley, MD, MSc
Traci Green, PhD, MSc
Mary Wheeler
Brandon Del Pozo, PhD
Presentation: Voice from Civil Society Organizations: What and how quality treatment and recovery support makes difference in support of people with drug use disorders
Speaker at the CND Side Event. “Establishing Quality Assurance Mechanisms Towards Truly Effective and Efficient Treatment and Recovery Support for People with Drug Use Disorders in Community Settings”
Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director, Opioid Policy Research Collaborative Institute for Behavioral Health, Brandeis University (Vienna NGO Committee on Narcotic Drugs and New York NGO Committee on Narcotic Drugs) -
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. - National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) The Opioid Policy Fellows Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ. January 6-8, 2023
Presentation: State Strategies for Prevention and intervention.
Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc, Jaime Mells, PhD.
Event Archives
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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 BurnsDrug 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, PhDUsing 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, PhDIntervention 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, PhDCharacteristics 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, PhDHarm 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
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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
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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, 2022Fentanyl 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, 2022Findings 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
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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.
- Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc. Navigating the New Stimulant Landscape: Consumer Experiences and Illicit Drug Supply Insights from the RACK and MADDS projects in Massachusetts. December 8, 2021
- Bohler, R., Davis, M.T., Hamilton, G., Hodgkin, D., Horgan, C. Key Levers in Addressing the Opioid Crisis: The Role of Health Plans in Massachusetts. Oral Presentation at the 2021 AMERSA National Conference 45th Annual National Conference. November 03 - 05, 2021
- Samantha F. Schoenberger, BA., Emily Cummins, PhD; Shapei Yan, MPH; Jennifer J Carroll, PhD, MPH., Audrey M Lambert, MPH., Traci C Green, PhD, MSc., Sarah M Bagley, MD, MSc., Ziming Xuan, ScD., Amy Yule, MD., Franklin Cook, MA, CPC., Alexander Y Walley, MD, MSc., Scott W Formica, PhD. "Cry This Out Real Quick”: Compassion Fatigue and Secondary Trauma in PostOverdose Outreach Response. Oral Presentation at the 2021 AMERSA National Conference 45th Annual National Conference. November 03 - 05, 2021
- Hodgkin D. Invited panelist at workshop for National Institute on Drug Abuse. Topic: Research Needed to Advance the Impact of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD): Focus on Benefit Design and Payor Reimbursement Practices. Online, October 25, 2021.
- Hodgkin D., Horgan CM., Bart G. Sustainability of novel treatment approaches after expiration of time-limited grant funding. Oral online presentation at the World Congress of Psychiatry. October 16, 2021.
- Proceedings: Addiction Health Services Research Virtual Conference October 13-15, 2021.
Workshop: Strategies for Actively Engaging Stakeholders in Research
Joanne Nicholson, PhD is a Professor in the Institute for Behavioral Health at Brandeis University’s. Heller School for Social Policy and Management. October 13, 2021.
Plenary: Traci C. Green, PhD., MSc. Harm Reduction Services and Research in the Age of Fentanyl and COVID-19. October 15, 2021
Presentations Health Disparities and Health Equity
HD02. Rachel Sayko Adams, PhD. Examining the Association of Disability Status with Alcohol-Use and Prescription-Opioid use Behaviors Among Adults in Ohio. October 14, 2021.
Implementation Science
IS30. Cindy Parks Thomas, PhD, Maureen T. Stewart, PhD, Cynthia A. Tschampl, PhD, Kumba Sennaar, PhD, Neto Coulibaly, PhD, Daniel Schwartz, PhD, Judith Dey, PhD. Emergency Department Interventions for Opioid Use Disorder. October 14, 2021.
Effects of COVID-19
OT01. Derek Bolivar, BA, Jesse Boggis, MPH, Mary Gray, PhD, Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc. Examining the Effects of COVID-19 on Pharmacy Dispensing of Naloxone, Buprenorphine, and Syringes Sales Across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. October 15, 2021 (audio link)
Systems-Wide Interventions
SW04. Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, Mary Gray, PhD, Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc. Using Secret Shopping to Verify Naloxone and Nonprescription Syringe Access in Community Pharmacies: The Respond to Prevent study. October 15, 2021. (audio link)
SW07. Margot Davis, PhD, MSW, Robert M. Bohler, MPH, Dominic Hodkin, PhD, Greer Hamilton, MSW, Constance M. Horgan, Sc.D. The Role of Health Plans in Addressing the Opioid Epidemic in Massachusetts: A Qualitative Analysis. October 15, 2021
- Minnesota Hospital Association, Delivering Whole Person Care - Improving Outcomes in Opioid Use: Aug 26, 2021. "How Social Determinants of Health Impact the Opioid Crisis"
Presenter: Andrew Kolodny, MD.
- American Medical Student Association's (AMSA): Aug 10, 2021.
"Responding to the Opioid Crisis: An Epidemic of Addiction"
Presenter: Andrew Kolodny, MD.
- Proceedings: U.S. House of Representative July 29, 2021.
Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force Roundtable on Pain Management. “Consumption of Prescription Opioids for Pain: A Comparison of Opioid Use in the United States and Other Countries”
Presenter: Andrew Kolodny, MD. - Proceedings: CPDD 83rd Annual Scientific Virtual Meeting June 21-24, 2021.
MATPharm: “A Collaborative Care Model for Addiction Treatment in Pharmacies”
Submission: #3003369.
Presenters: Traci Green, PhD, MSc., Jeffrey Bratberg, PhD.
“Empowering Pharmacists to Preserve and Expand Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic” Submission: # 3003680.
Presenters: Traci Green, PhD, MSc., Jeffrey Bratberg, PhD.
“A Four-State Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial to Improve Provision of Naloxone, Buprenorphine, and Nonprescription Syringes in Community Pharmacies” Submission: # 3002997.
Session Name: Community Pharmacy-Based Models to Expand Access to Medications to Address the Opioid Epidemic and the Health of Persons who Use Drugs.
Presentation: Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc.
“Opioid Overdose and the Implementation of Post-Overdose Public Health-Public Safety Outreach Programs in Massachusetts: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis”
Presentation: Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc
- Updates on the Overdose Crisis and Response Efforts. New England Addiction Technology Transfer Center Annual Summer School. Boston, Massachusetts. June 8, 2021.
Plenary Speaker: TC Green, PhD, MSc.
- COBRE Lecture Series -Medication-assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Rhode Island. Virtual Meeting, June 3, 2021.
Presentation: TC Green, PhD, MSc.
- Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) Special Webinar May 26, 2021. Using Fentanyl Test Strips as a Tool for Preventing Overdose and Facilitating Linkages to Care. (Contact OPRC for password access)
Presenters: Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc., Jennifer J. Carroll, PhD, MPH. - Changes in Access to Health and Harm Reduction Services. COVID-19 impact on drug use, overdose, and other health harms: how do we model it? At the University of California San Diego, May 25, 2021.
Presentation: Traci Green, PhD, MSc.
- RIZE Massachusetts Foundation, Program Strategy Meeting. January 19, 2021. Zero Stigma. Zero Deaths.
Program Strategy Panelist: Traci Green, PhD, MSc, Jennifer Carroll, PhD, MPH, Michelle McKenzie, MPH
- RIZE Massachusetts Foundation, COVID Positive and on the Street: Providing Care to People Experiencing Homelessness During a Pandemic. January 12, 2021.
"COVID-19 Quarantine, Isolation and Recovery Sites: Massachusetts 2020"
Harm Reduction Panelist: Traci Green, PhD, MSc
- Proceedings from the American Public Health Association (APHA) 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo Virtual Conference. Oct 24-28, 2020.
"Patterns of substance use and medications for opioid use disorder: Findings from a state-wide sample of people who use drugs"
Jaclyn White Hughto, PhD, MPH, Abigail Tapper, MPH, Patricia Case, ScD, MPH, Thomas J. Stopka, PhD, MHS, Wilson R. Palacios, PhD and Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc“Innovative Community-Based Responses to the Opioid Epidemic.” Poster presentation. October 25, 2020.
Bohler, R., Thomas, C.P., Strickler, G., Clark, T., Horgan, C., and Kolodny, A. - Proceedings from the Addiction Health Services Research (AHSR) Virtual Conference Meeting. Oct 14-16, 2020.
“Outcomes for clients experiencing homeless & trauma in a Hispanic Massachusetts addiction treatment agency providing integrated primary and mental health care” (HD10)
Nick Huntington, Mary Jo Larson, Diliana De Jesús, Cynthia A. Tschampl, Yinuo Xu, Melisa Canuto, Melinda D’Ippolito, Micaurys Guzman, Emily Stewart, and Lena Lundgren
"Intervention to increase naloxone engagement in community pharmacies: a focus group investigation” (IS08)
Daniel Ventricelli, Mary Gray, Jesse Boggis, Jef Bratberg, Adriane Irwin, Caleb Banta‑Green, Gillian Leichtling, Anthony Floyd, Dan Hartung, and Traci C. Green
“Pharmacy‑based care model for the treatment of opioid use disorder: pilot findings and novel care adaptations during COVID‑19” (MM11)
Traci C. Green, Michelle McKenzie, Rachel Serafinski, Seth Clark, Kirsten Langdon, Josiah Rich, and Jeffrey Bratberg
“A participatory process to develop a naloxone, buprenorphine, and syringe safety intervention for community pharmacies” (MM01)
Traci C. Green, Jesse Bogis, Adriane Irwin, Jeffrey Bratberg, Mary Gray, Caleb Banta‑Green, Ryan Hansen, Anthony Floyd, Gillian Leichtling, and Dan Hartung
“Assessing the validity of pharmacy syringe sales data to inform opioid addiction trends and response” (MM03)
Traci C. Green, Thomas J. Stopka, Ziming Xuan, Tyler C. Davis, Jesse Boggis, Adriane Irwin, Mary Gray, Daniel Hartung, and Jeffrey Bratberg
“Modeling the impact of naloxone distribution for overdose prevention through community programs, prescriptions, and pharmacy‑facilitated channels in the US: results from a 10‑state analysis" (SW11)
Michael Irvine, Declan Oller, Brian Bishop, Jesse Boggis, Dan Coombs, and Traci C. Green -
Proceedings from the CPDD 82nd CPDD Annual Scientific Virtual Meeting June 22-24, 2020.
"Understanding Fentanyl Overdose Risk among People who Use Cocaine"
Jaclyn M.W. Hughto, PhD, MPH, Patricia Case, ScD, MPH, Wilson R. Palacios, PhD, MA, Sarah Ruiz, Brittni Reilly, Abigail Tapper, MPH, Thomas J. Stopka, PhD, Traci Green, PhD, MSc.“Characteristics of Emerging Post-Overdose Outreach Programs in Massachusetts”
Scott Formica, Katherine Waye, Allyn Benintendi, Shapei Yan, Sarah Bagley, Julia Keosaian, Leo Beletsky, Jennifer Carroll, Traci Green, PhD, Ziming Xuan, Alexander Walley.“A Statewide Pharmacist Survey on Standing Order Naloxone in Massachusetts”
Jenny Ozga-Hess, Alexander Walley, Ziming Xuan, Traci Green, PhD, Robin Pollini. - Dr. Andrew Kolodny, the Medical Director of Opioid Policy Research at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management, shared his expert knowledge on the opioid epidemic in “COVID-19 Pandemic: Responding to the Opioid Addiction Epidemic,” in the second installment of the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Webinar Series, April 30,2020.
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Proceedings from the RX Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit Virtual Conference Meeting. April 15, 2020.
Researchers from the Brandeis Opioid Resource Clearinghouse presented case studies illustrating collaborations between state government agencies and academic researchers to evaluate programs utilizing prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) data. The case studies focused on projects conducted in Massachusetts, New York State, and New Jersey. Dr. Andrew Kolodny and Dr. Meelee Kim discussed methodology, outcome measures, results, and lessons learned to assist other stakeholders to better understand the strengths and limitations of using PDMP’s as a data source. "PDMP-Informed Responses to the Opioid Addiction Epidemic: Lessons from Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey" - Dr. Andrew Kolodny, an addiction medicine specialist, is the Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Recently he spoke with members of the Brandeis community (alumni, parents and friends) and their guests “Understanding the Opioid Crisis: A Timely Discussion” hosted in Hollywood, Florida on January 12, 2020.
- Invited presenter: Traci Green, PhD, MSc, Professor and Director, OPRC and Jeffrey Bratberg. Multimodal Harm Reduction Advocacy and Education for Pharmacy-Based Nonprescription Syringe and Needle Services. 4th Annual Kansas Opioid Conference, November 2020.
- Traci Green, PhD, MSc, Professor and Director, OPRC, J Bratberg. Multimodal Harm Reduction Advocacy and Education for Pharmacy-Based Nonprescription Syringe and Needle Services. 4th Annual Kansas Opioid Conference, November 2020.
- Andrew Kolodny, Co-Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative gives key note address: Understanding and Responding to an Epidemic of Addiction, at the College of the Holy Cross, McFarland Center, Worcester, MA on November 7, 2019
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JW Hughto, A Tapper, P Case, TJ Stopka, WR Palacios, TC Green, PhD, MSc. Patterns of substance use and medications for opioid use disorder: Findings from a statewide sample of people who use drugs. Poster presented at the APHA's 2020 VIRTUAL Annual Meeting and Expo Oct. 24-28, 2020. https://apha.confex.com/apha/2020/meetingapi.cgi/Paper/481667?filename=2020_Abstract481667.pdf&template=Word
- Andrew Kolodny, Co-Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative gives key note address: Understanding & Responding to an Epidemic of Addiction, at the Appalachian Addiction & Prescription Drug Abuse Conference, Morgantown, WV on October 17, 2019
- Andrew Kolodny, Co-Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative gives key note address: The opioid crisis in USA: Strategies and Therapeutic Options, at the VIII Federserd National Congress on Clinic of Addictions, Milan Italy on October 11, 2019
- Andrew Kolodny, Co-Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative gives key note address: Understanding & Responding to the Opioid Crisis, at the New England Law Center Conference, Boston: The Opioid Epidemic – Origins & Responses on October 3, 2019
- Andrew Kolodny, Co-Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative gives key note address: The Neuroscience, Demography, Treatment, and Social Factors Associated With the Ongoing Opioid crisis, at the University of Colorado Judicial Seminar, Denver on Sept 24, 2019
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JMW Hughto, P Case, WR Palacios, S Ruiz, B Reilly, A Tapper, TJ Stopka, Traci Green. Understanding Fentanyl Overdose Risk among People who Use Cocaine. Poster presentation at the CPDD 82nd CPDD Annual Scientific Virtual Meeting June 22-24, 2020
- J Ozga-Hess, A Walley, Z Xuan, TC Green, R Pollini. A Statewide Pharmacist Survey on Standing Order Naloxone in Massachusetts. Poster presentation at the CPDD 82nd CPDD Annual Scientific Virtual Meeting June 22-24, 2020
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Presenter: Jaclyn M.W. Hughto, PhD, MPH, Patricia Case, ScD, MPH, Wilson R. Palacios, PhD, MA, Sarah Ruiz, Brittni Reilly, Abigail Tapper, MPH, Thomas J. Stopka, PhD, Traci Green, PhD. Understanding Fentanyl Overdose Risk among People who Use Cocaine. Poster presentation at the CPDD 82nd CPDD Annual Scientific Virtual Meeting June 22-24, 2020
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Presenter: Scott Formica, Katherine Waye, Allyn Benintendi, Shapei Yan, Sarah Bagley, Julia Keosaian, Leo Beletsky, Jennifer Carroll, Traci Green, PhD, Ziming Xuan, Alexander Walley. Characteristics of Emerging Post-Overdose Outreach Programs in Massachusetts. Poster presentation at the CPDD 82nd CPDD Annual Scientific Virtual Meeting June 22-24, 2020
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Presenter: Jenny Ozga-Hess, Alexander Walley, Ziming Xuan, Traci Green, PhD, Robin Pollini. A Statewide Pharmacist Survey on Standing Order Naloxone in Massachusetts. Poster presentation at the CPDD 82nd CPDD Annual Scientific Virtual Meeting June 22-24, 2020
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TC Green, J Bratberg. Using State PDMP Naloxone Data to Monitor Novel Co-Prescribing Policies” and “Multimodal Harm Reduction Advocacy and Education for Pharmacy-Based Nonprescription Syringe and Needle Services. Rx Abuse and Heroin Summit, virtual. June 2020.
- Kachoria, A., and Nicholson, J. “Improving Care Coordination Between Accountable Care Organizations and Community Partners: Early Findings from the Massachusetts Delivery System Reform Program.” Presented at “Research and Relevance in State Health Policy Virtual State-University Partnership Learning Network Adjunct Meeting,” sponsored by AcademyHealth, June 2020.
- Mitra, M., Reif, S., Adams, R.S., Nicholson, J., and Thomas, C.P. “Intersecting Research on Opioid Misuse, Addiction and Disability.” Presented at Disability Statistics Compendium, Washington, D.C., February 2020.
- Andrew Kolodny, Co-Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative gives the lead speaker address: Addressing Over-Prescribing of Opioids by Health Care Professionals, at the Fels Institute for Government at the University of Pennsylvania's Opioid Symposium on May 10, 2019.
- Andrew Kolodny, Co-Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative will be presenting, Autopsy of a Man-made Epidemic: Lessons to Prevent Future Public Health Catastrophes, at the 2019 Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit on April 23, 2019 in Atlanta, GA.
- Peter Kreiner, Co-Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative will be presenting, Trajectories of PDMP-Based Patient Risk Indicators and Likelihood of Overdose Death, at the 2019 Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit on April 23, 2019 in Atlanta, GA.
- Aetna interviews Andrew Kolodny for its prescriber education program, a partnership with Alosa Health, published on Apr 17, 2019.
- At the Angel of Hope Gala on April 11, 2019 Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey will be presenting an award honoring the work of Andrew Kolodny, Co-Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative.
- On April 2, 2019 Andrew Kolodny will be a panelist on the Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations Discussion Series hosted by Jonathan Samen. The event, sponsored by JCC Greater Boston will be a discussion on America's Opioid Addiction. It will be 7:30-9:00pm. Tickets and additional information.
- Andrew Kolodny partners with Mediaplanet to collaborate on their Opioid Awareness campaign. The campaign highlights resources for those directly affected and their loved ones regarding prevention, pain management, treatment and recovery from opioid misuse. The campaign was distributed through USA TODAY on March 27, 2019 and is published online.
- The Sackler family, philanthropy, and Purdue Pharma. Andrew Kolodny comments on how they are related to the current opioid epidemic, published on March 22, 2019.
- Andrew Kolodny interview February 24, 2019 on 60 Minutes. Did the FDA Ignite the Opioid Epidemic?
- Andrew Kolodny is presenting, The Opioid Crisis: Rethinking Policy and Law, sponsored by the American University Washington College of Law on Friday, February 22, 2019.
- James Freeman hosts DeepDive on Fox Nation, Friday, January 25, 2019 in New York. Andrew Kolodny is among a panel of experts discussing the opioid crisis.
- Andrew Kolodny will speak at the Harvard Medical School event "The US Opioid Epidemic: Where Do We Go From Here?" on September 14, 2018 from 12:30-2:00pm in Boston, MA.
- Andrew Kolodny addressed the National Governors Association Conference Friday, July 20, 2018 in Sante Fe, NM.
- Understanding the Opioid Crisis:
A Timely Discussion with Andrew Kolodny, MD
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Boston, MA
The United States is in the midst of an opioid crisis: more than 100 Americans die every day from overdosing on opioids.
Join Dr. Andrew Kolodny, one of the nation's leading experts on the prescription opioid and heroin crisis, for a timely presentation and discussion. Dr. Kolodny is co-director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. He is also the executive director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, an organization with a mission to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by overprescribing of opioid analgesics.
A Q&A will follow Dr. Kolodny's presentation. Hosted by Brandeis Alumni Association. - Wednesday, February 28, 2018, Andrew Kolodny, MD, Co-Director of the OPRC testified before the Committee on Energy & Commerce, Subcommittee on Health U.S. House of Representatives hearing.
- November 16, 2017, the OPRC celebrated its launch at Brandeis University by hosting two events:
- film screening & expert panel discussion on HBO’s “Warning: This Drug May Kill You,” held at the Wasserman Cinematheque. Panelists included film producer Perri Peltz, the OPRC’s Andrew Kolodny, Secretary of Massachusetts Health & Human Services Marylou Sudders, and Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, CEO of Dimock. The expert panel was moderated by NBC’s Cynthia McFadden and can be viewed here.
- dinner and salon-style conversation at the Brandeis University Faculty Club. The dinner convened various stakeholders in the opioid epidemic, with remarks from Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Senator Ed Markey
Click here for more information & photos of the OPRC Launch