A University of Arizona researcher has been awarded a $100,000 grant to develop ways to help identify patients at risk of inappropriate use of prescription opioids.
The university says pharmacy assistant professor Jenny Lo-Ciganic will use the grant from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation to review Medicare administrative claims data for hidden patterns and geographic clusters of inappropriate opioid use.
According to the university, the idea is to generate algorithms to help guide payers and health care providers to implement effective interventions while allowing legitimate pain management for those not deemed at high risk of abuse.
Lo-Ciganic says her research will help health care providers to better focus their efforts to curb opioid abuse and help communities tailor care plans for specific areas or populations.
