News and Events

• Tip of the Week: Using Effective Management to Combat Substance Use Disorder and Other Public Health Concerns. June 3, 2021
• GBH 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.

• Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association. May 2021. Fentanyl Test Strips Fact Sheet. Available at https://legislativeanalysis.org/fentanyl-test-strips-2/.

• Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University shares his insights into the Opioid Epidemic in Alex Gibney’s two-part documentary "The Crime of the Century" which premieres in May 2021 on HBO Max
• Dr. Andrew Kolodny Webinar Presentation for The IPRO Quality Innovation Network-Medicare Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIO) in response to Delivering Whole Person Care: Improving Outcomes in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment. "How Social Determinants of Health Impact the Opioid Crisis." May 25, 2021 
• 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.  https://khn.org/news/article/doctors-more-likely-to-prescribe-opioids-to-covid-long-haulers-raising-addiction-fears/ April 28, 2021
• Dr. Andrew Kolodny discusses One Year Later: The Opioid Epidemic During COVID-19 with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. April 22, 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 

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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
• 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 EstersThe 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

• 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 16, 2020
• 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

• 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

• In an interview with public radio, Background Briefing Andrew Kolodny, Medical Director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative (OPRC) at the Heller School, Brandeis University discusses the opioid trials and the future of big pharma. September 5, 2019.

• Andrew Kolodny welcomes the verdict in the Johnson & Johnson ruling in the Oklahoma opioid trial as an opinion contributor in USA Today. August 29, 2019.

• Andrew Kolodny 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. 

• 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
  

• 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.

• 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

• 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

• Minnesota Hospital Association, Delivering Whole Person Care - Improving Outcomes in Opioid Use: Aug 26, 2021. "How Social Determinants of Health Impact the Opioid Crisis"
  Presentation: Andrew Kolodny, MD.
• American Medical Student Association's (AMSA): Aug 10, 2021.
  "Responding to the Opioid Crisis: An Epidemic of Addiction"
  Presentation: 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
• 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.

• 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 

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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