Americans are using more prescription drugs than ever. Consequently, they’re worrying about side effects, drug interactions, and cost, especially if they’re using multiple medications. Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) scientists are on the forefront of answering questions about these concerns. We’re studying the beneficial and harmful effects of medications in real-world settings, and innovating better ways to manage and monitor drug use.
“We can dramatically improve health care by making sure people get the right medicines at appropriate doses,” said Denise Boudreau, PhD, KPWHRI senior investigator. “The institute contributes to this effort by participating in national initiatives to monitor medication safety. At the personal level, we’re providing information to doctors and patients for weighing the risks and benefits of various prescription drugs.”
Funders of KPWHRI medication use and patient safety research include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and other sources. A few projects include:
“Our work gives patients and providers evidence about the outcomes of medication use—both harmful and beneficial—to help them make informed personal decisions about prescription drug use,” said senior investigator Sascha Dublin, MD, PhD.
Dublin S, Walker RL, Shortreed SM, Ludman EJ, Sherman KJ, Hansen RN, Thakral M, Saunders K, Parchman ML, Von Korff M. Impact of initiatives to reduce prescription opioid risks on medically attended injuries in people using chronic opioid therapy. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2019 Jan;28(1):90-96. doi: 10.1002/pds.4678. Epub 2018 Oct 30. PubMed
Chen Y, Wang J, Chubak J, Hubbard RA. Inflation of type I error rates due to differential misclassification in EHR-derived outcomes: empirical illustration using breast cancer recurrence. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2018 Oct 30. doi: 10.1002/pds.4680. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Freeman PR, Curran GM, Drummond KL, Martin BC, Teeter BS, Bradley K, Schoenberg N, Edlund MJ. Utilization of prescription drug monitoring programs for prescribing and dispensing decisions: results from a multi-site qualitative study. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2019 Jun;15(6):754-760. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2018.09.007. Epub 2018 Sep 14. PubMed
Von Korff M, Saunders K, Dublin S, Walker RL, Thakral M, Sherman KJ, Ludman EJ, Hansen RN, Parchman M, Shortreed SM. Impact of chronic opioid therapy risk reduction initiatives on opioid overdose. 2019 Jan;20(1):108-117. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2018.08.003. Epub 2018 Sep 3. PubMed
Owens MD, Chen JA, Simpson TL, Timko C, Williams EC. Barriers to addiction treatment among formerly incarcerated adults with substance use disorders. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2018;13(1):19. doi: 10.1186/s13722-018-0120-6. PubMed
![]() Denise M. Boudreau, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Sascha Dublin, MD, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Jessica Chubak, PhD, MBHLSenior Investigator |
![]() Andrea J. Cook, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Michael L. Jackson, PhD, MPHSenior Investigator |
![]() Rita Mangione-Smith, MD, MPHVice President for Research and Health Care Innovation, Kaiser Permanente Washington; Executive Director and Senior Investigator, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute |
![]() Eric B. Larson, MD, MPH, MACPSenior Investigator and former Executive Director, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute; Former Vice President for Research and Health Care Innovation, Kaiser Permanente Washington |
![]() Jennifer C. Nelson, PhDDirector of Biostatistics; Senior Investigator |
![]() David E. Arterburn, MD, MPHSenior Investigator, KPWHRI; Physician, Washington Permanente Medical Group, Internal Medicine |
![]() Susan M. Shortreed, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Lisa A. Jackson, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
![]() Karen Wernli, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Onchee Yu, MSBiostatistician III |
![]() Rod L. Walker, MSBiostatistician III |
![]() Robert D. Wellman, MSBiostatistician III |
![]() Gaia Pocobelli, PhDResearch Associate |
![]() David S. Carrell, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Laura Harrington, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
![]() Jennifer F. Bobb, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Weiwei Zhu, MSBiostatistician III |
![]() Paige D. Wartko, PhD, MPHResearch Associate |
![]() Maricela Cruz,Assistant Investigator |
Susan Heckbert, MD, PhD
University of Washington (UW) Department of Epidemiology; UW Cardiovascular Health Research Unit
David Siscovick, MD, MPH
UW Department of Medicine; UW Department of Epidemiology; UW Cardiovascular Health Research Unit
Leslie Spangler, PhD
Amgen