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:
Chen C, Hennessy S, Brensinger CM, Dawwas GK, Acton EK, Bilker WB, Chung SP, Dublin S, Horn JR, Miano TA, Pham Nguyen TP, Soprano SE, Leonard CE. Skeletal muscle relaxant drug-drug-drug interactions and unintentional traumatic injury: Screening to detect three-way drug interaction signals. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2022 Nov;88(11):4773-4783. doi: 10.1111/bcp.15395. Epub 2022 Jun 1. PubMed
Acton EK, Hennessy S, Brensinger CM, Bilker WB, Miano TA, Dublin S, Horn JR, Chung S, Wiebe DJ, Willis AW, Leonard CE. Opioid drug-drug-drug interactions and unintentional traumatic injury: screening to detect three-way drug interaction signals. Front Pharmacol. 2022 May 10;13:845485. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.845485. eCollection 2022. PubMed
Pham Nguyen TP, Soprano SE, Hennessy S, Brensinger CM, Bilker WB, Miano TA, Acton EK, Horn JR, Chung SP, Dublin S, Oslin DW, Wiebe DJ, Leonard CE. Population-based signals of benzodiazepine drug interactions associated with unintentional traumatic injury. J Psychiatr Res. 2022 May 1;151:299-303. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.04.033. PubMed
Dawwas GK, Hennessy S, Brensinger CM, Acton EK, Bilker WB, Chung S, Dublin S, Horn JR, Manis MM, Miano TA, Oslin DW, Pham Nguyen TP, Soprano SE, Wiebe DJ, Leonard CE. Signals of muscle relaxant drug interactions associated with unintentional traumatic injury: a population-based screening study. CNS Drugs. 2022 Apr;36(4):389-400. doi: 10.1007/s40263-022-00909-1. Epub 2022 Mar 6. PubMed
Yeung K, Ulloa E. Incentivizing prescription drug switching to reduce patient and health plan spending: a microsimulation model. Value Health. 2022;25(3):427-434. doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2021.08.012. Epub 2021 Oct 1. 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, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Robert D. Wellman, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Gaia Pocobelli, PhDSenior Collaborative Scientist |
![]() David S. Carrell, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Laura Harrington, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
![]() Jennifer F. Bobb, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Weiwei Zhu, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Paige D. Wartko, PhD, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
![]() Maricela Cruz, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Brian D. Williamson, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Noorie Hyun, PhDAssistant 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