Americans are using more prescription drugs than ever. Consequently, they’re coping with more side effects, drug interactions, and costs, 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.
The institute contributes to national initiatives to monitor medication safety as well as providing information to help doctors and patients weigh 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, the National Institutes of Health, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and other sources. A few projects include:
Boudreau DM, Pocobelli G, Bobb JF, Cheetham C, Dublin S, Andrade SE, Albertson-Junkans L, Griffin MR, Li DK, Raebel MA, Hechter RC, Pawloski PA, Toh S, Hua W, Ouellet-Hellstrom R, Horn P, Dinatale M, Ceresa C, Soukup M, Ma Y, Trinidad JP. Neural tube defect risk in relation to opioid analgesic exposure during early pregnancy. Am J Epidemiol. 2025 Apr 22:kwaf079. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwaf079. Online ahead of print. PubMed
Mogk J, Allen CL, Levitz CE, Stefanik-Guizlo K, Bourcier E, Trapp Petty M, Lozano P. Virtual practice facilitation as an implementation strategy for launching opioid safety committees for quality improvement in primary care: feasibility, acceptability, and intervention fidelity. BMC Prim Care. 2024;25(1):384. doi: 10.1186/s12875-024-02632-w. PubMed
Lozano PM, Allen CL, Barnes KA, Peck M, Mogk JM. Persistent pain, long-term opioids, and restoring trust in the patient-clinician relationship. J Pain. 2025 Feb;27:104694. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2024.104694. Epub 2024 Oct 9. PubMed
Desai RJ, Marsolo K, Smith J, Carrell D, Penfold R, Pillai HS, Lii J, Ngan K, Winter R, Adgent M, Ramaprasan A, Driscoll MR, Scarnecchia D, Kiernan D, Draper C, Lyons JG, Khurshid A, Maro JC, Zimmerman R, Brown J, Bright P, Hernández-Muñoz JJ, Matheny ME, Schneeweiss S. The FDA sentinel Real World Evidence Data Enterprise (RWE-DE). Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2024;33(10):e70028. doi: 10.1002/pds.70028. PubMed
Schindler NJ, Zepel L, Maciejewski ML, Hastings SN, Clark A, Dublin S, Albertson-Junkans L, Pavon JM. Fall outcomes in older adults following benzodiazepine/z-drug discontinuation: a retrospective cohort study in an academic health system. Drugs Aging. 2024;41(10):809-819. doi: 10.1007/s40266-024-01144-7. Epub 2024 Sep 18. PubMed
![]() Sascha Dublin, MD, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Jessica Chubak, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Andrea J. Cook, PhDSenior Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Rita Mangione-Smith, MD, MPHExecutive Director and Senior Investigator, KPWHRI; Vice President for Research and Health Care Innovation, Kaiser Permanente Washington |
![]() Jennifer C. Nelson, PhDDirector, Biostatistics; Senior Investigator |
![]() David E. Arterburn, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
![]() Susan M. Shortreed, PhDSenior Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Lisa A. Jackson, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
![]() Karen Wernli, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Onchee Yu, MSPrincipal Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Rod L. Walker, MSPrincipal Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Robert D. Wellman, MSPrincipal Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Gaia Pocobelli, PhDSenior Collaborative Scientist |
![]() Laura Harrington, PhD, MPHAssociate Investigator |
![]() Jennifer F. Bobb, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Weiwei Zhu, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Paige D. Wartko, PhD, MPHSenior Collaborative Scientist |
![]() Maricela Cruz, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Brian D. Williamson, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Noorie Hyun, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Laurel Hansell, MA, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
![]() Jess Mogk, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
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