Population Research Discovery Seminars

The debilitating effects of the opioid epidemic have been well documented and many states have implemented Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) aimed at curbing the epidemic at a common point of initiation of opioid abuse, the prescription. We consider the effect of this policy on opioid prescribing trends for a given provider in various medical specialties. Acknowledging the ability of PDMPs to help narrow provider-patient informational gaps, we utilize a difference-in-difference quantile regression model to assess how specialty-specific prescribing may vary among a provider’s propensity to prescribe.

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Jevay Grooms’ research focuses broadly on factors which impede the effectiveness of various health policies as they relate to underrepresented communities. Some of her current research focuses on domestic health policies and interventions geared toward individuals who suffer from substance use disorders and behavioral health conditions as well as Medicaid Expansion. This body of research includes opioid prescribing behavior of physicians, the effectiveness of prescription drug monitoring programs, the effect of a national opioid advisory,  and access to treatment facilities for mental and behavioral health. Her dissertation focused on the health limitations caused by the World Trade Organization’s trade policies regarding pharmaceutical drugs. She investigated how the Agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights amplified and/or dwindled the inequality in access to pharmaceuticals among developed, developing and least-developed WTO members.