Funded Projects
Susan Abughosh
1. Title: Texas Physicians’ Attitudes and Predicted Pain Management Based on Rescheduling
                              Hydrocodone Combination Products
 Principal Investigator: Marc Fleming
 Type of Award: Private Profit
 Funding Agency: Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
 Duration: 11/2014-11/2015
 Description of Project: This study will predict Texas prescribers’ intention to prescribe
                              hydrocodone combination products in the event these medications are reclassified to
                              Schedule II controlled substances. It is important to understand the implications
                              the rule change will have on patient care as it relates to prescribing patterns.
 
Rajender Aparasu
1. Title: Anticholinergics and Cognitive Decline in the Elderly with Depression/Dementia
 Principal Investigator: Rajender Aparasu
 Type of Award: RO1
 Funding Agency: Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality
 Duration: 09/2012-09/2016
 Description of Project: The study will evaluate central adverse effects profile on
                                 medications with significant anticholinergic activity in the elderly nursing home
                                 residents with depression. The investigation will not only provide strong evidence
                                 base for central adverse effects for anticholinergics but also strengthen support
                                 for the Anticholinergic Drug Scale as a quality of care measure in long term care.
 
 2. Title: Impact of Atypical Antipsychotic Use on Health Care Utilization in the
                                 Elderly
 Principal Investigator: Rajender Aparasu
 Type of Award: RO3
 Funding Agency: Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality
 Duration: 04/2009-09/2011
 Description of Project: With increasing evidence of efficacy and safety concerns
                                 of atypical agents, there is a need to evaluate atypical antipsychotic use in the
                                 elderly. Little is known about the cumulative healthcare impact of atypical agents
                                 due to their safety and efficacy profile. An evaluation of healthcare utilization
                                 in the elderly will be valuable to healthcare providers and policy-makers so that
                                 atypical antipsychotic use and expenditures can be optimized in this population.
 
 3. Title: The Impact of the FDA Antidepressant Black Box Warning on Psychiatric Practice
 Principal Investigator: Hua Chen
 Type of Award: RO3
 Funding Agency: Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality
 Duration: 03/2007-09/2009
 Description of Project: The study will examine the policy impact of the Food and
                                 Drug Administration (FDA) antidepressant black box warning on the utilizations of
                                 psychotropic medications and psychiatric services among children and adolescents.
Hua Chen
1. Title: Anticholinergics and Cognitive Decline in the Elderly with Depression/Dementia
 Principal Investigator: Rajender Aparasu
 Type of Award: RO1
 Funding Agency: Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality
 Duration: 09/2012-09/2016
 Description of Project: The study will evaluate central adverse effects profile on
                                 medications with significant anticholinergic activity in the elderly nursing home
                                 residents with depression. The investigation will not only provide strong evidence
                                 base for central adverse effects for anticholinergics but also strengthen support
                                 for the Anticholinergic Drug Scale as a quality of care measure in long-term care.
 
 2. Title: The Definition, Utilization and Development of Long Term Psychotropic Polypharmacy
                                 in Children and Adolescents
 Principal Investigator: Hua Chen
 Type of Award: Private Non-Profit
 Funding Agency: PhRMA Foundation
 Duration: 01/2010-12/2011
 Description of Project: The study is a retrospective analysis of 3 years (2003-2005)
                                 Medicaid claims data from 4 states in the continental U.S. The purpose is to validate
                                 the definition of long term psychotropic polypharmacy and assess the extent of this
                                 practice in children and adolescents.
 
 3. Title: The Impact of the FDA Antidepressant Black Box Warning on Psychiatric Practice
 Principal Investigator: Hua Chen
 Type of Award: RO3
 Funding Agency: Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality
 Duration: 03/2007-10/2009
 Description of Project: The study will examine the policy impact of the Food and
                                 Drug Administration (FDA) antidepressant black box warning on the utilizations of
                                 psychotropic medications and psychiatric services among children and adolescents.
 
 4. Title: The Impact of the FDA Antidepressant Black Box Warning on the Utilization
                                 of Psychotherapy, Psychotropic Medications, and Antidepressant Follow-up Care Among
                                 Children and Adolescents
 Principal Investigator: Hua Chen
 Type of Award: Private Non-Profit
 Funding Agency: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
 Duration: 12/2006-12/2007
 Description of Project: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of
                                 the FDA antidepressant black box warning on psychiatric practice.
 
 5. Title: Outcomes of Angiogenesis Receptor Blocker Use for Heart Failure in the
                                 Elderly
 Principal Investigator: Michael Johnson
 Type of Award: RO3
 Funding Agency: Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality
 Duration: 08/2008-01/2011
 Description of Project: The purpose of this project is to examine the outcomes of
                                 treatment with angiotensin receptor blockers in a national cohort of elderly patients
                                 with CHF.
 
 6. Title: Impact of Atypical Antipsychotic Use on Health Care Utilization in the
                                 Elderly
 Principal Investigator: Rajender Aparasu
 Type of Award: RO3
 Funding Agency: Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality
 Duration: 04/2009-09/2011
 Description of Project: With increasing evidence of efficacy and safety concerns
                                 of atypical agents, there is a need to evaluate atypical antipsychotic use in the
                                 elderly. Little is known about the cumulative health care impact of atypical agents
                                 due to their safety and efficacy profile. An evaluation of health care utilization
                                 in the elderly will be valuable to health care providers and policy makers so that
                                 atypical antipsychotic use and expenditures can be optimized in this population.
 
 7. Title: Clinical Outcomes Associated with Pre-emptive Cytomegalovirus Therapy in
                                 Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem-cell Transplantation Recipients
 Principal Investigator: Kevin Garey
 Type of Award: Private Profit
 Funding Agency: Merck
 Duration: 04/2014-07/2015
 Description of Project: The purpose of this project is to assess overall and pharmacotherapy-related
                                 outcomes associated with CMV infection in HSCT patients. 
E. James Essien
1. Title: Videotape-based HIV Prevention Intervention
 Principal Investigator: Ekere James Essien
 Type of Award: RO1
 Funding Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
 Duration: 09/03/2003-08/31/2007
 Description of Project: This study is designed to test whether or not social cognitive
                                 theory principles applied to HIV prevention can be delivered effectively by videotapes
                                 and community based organization personnel with minimal training in skills building
                                 techniques in Houston, Texas.
 
 2. Title: The Nigerian Uniformed Services AIDS Project
 Principal Investigator: Ekere James Essien
 Type of Award: RO1
 Funding Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
 Duration: 03/24/2005-02/28/2009
 Description of Project: The goal of this project is to develop and test the efficacy
                                 of an Information-Motivation-Behavioral (IMB) Skills model based HIV prevention intervention
                                 among men and women in the Nigerian Uniformed Services.
Marc Fleming
1. Title: The Emergency Department Pain Registry: Impact Evaluation of the 2012 American
                                 College of Opioid Prescribing Guidelines
 Principal Investigator: Todd Knox
 Type of Award: State
 Funding Agency: UT MD Anderson Cancer Center via Pfizer
 Duration: 10/2013-11/2014
 Description of Project: The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness
                                 of ACEP’s opioid guideline dissemination to an enhanced strategy that includes patient
                                 informed feedback and chart review of physicians.
 
 2. Title: Texas Physicians’ Attitudes and Predicted Pain Management Based on Rescheduling
                                 Hydrocodone Combination Products
 Principal Investigator: Marc Fleming
 Type of Award: Private Profit
 Funding Agency: Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
 Duration: 11/2014-11/2015
 Description of Project: This study will predict Texas prescribers’ intention to prescribe
                                 hydrocodone combination products in the event these medications are reclassified to
                                 Schedule II controlled substances. It is important to understand the implications
                                 the rule change will have on patient care as it relates to prescribing patterns.
Michael Johnson
1. Title: A Clinical Risk Index for Primary Clostridium Difficile Infection
 Principal Investigator: Kevin Garey 
Type of Award: State 
Funding Agency: Texas Department of State Health Services 
Duration: 07/2014-08/2014 
Description of Project: The overall objective of this project is to identify a high-risk
                                 population for primary CDI in order to initiate future preventative strategies. 
 
 2. Title: Anticholinergics and Cognitive Decline in the Elderly with Depression/Dementia
 Principal Investigator: Rajender Aparasu
 Type of Award: RO1
 Funding Agency: Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality
 Duration: 09/2012-09/2016
 Description of Project: The study will evaluate central adverse effects profile on
                                 medications with significant anticholinergic activity in the elderly nursing home
                                 residents with depression. The investigation will not only provide strong evidence
                                 base for central adverse effects for anticholinergics but also strengthen support
                                 for the Anticholinergic Drug Scale as a quality of care measure in long term care.
 
 3. Title: Outcomes of Angiogenesis Receptor Blocker Use for Heart Failure in the
                                 Elderly
 Principal Investigator: Michael Johnson
 Type of Award: RO3
 Funding Agency: Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality
 Duration: 08/2008-01/2011
 Description of Project: The purpose of this project is to examine the outcomes of
                                 treatment with angiotensin receptor blockers in a national cohort of elderly patients
                                 with CHF.
Sujit Sansgiry
1. Title: Texas Physicians’ Attitudes and Predicted Pain Management Based on Rescheduling
                                 Hydrocodone Combination Products
 Principal Investigator: Marc Fleming
 Type of Award: Private Profit
 Funding Agency: Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
 Duration: 11/2014-11/2015
 Description of Project: This study will predict Texas prescribers’ intention to prescribe
                                 hydrocodone combination products in the event these medications are reclassified to
                                 Schedule II controlled substances. It is important to understand the implications
                                 the rule change will have on patient care as it relates to prescribing patterns.
 
 2. Title: Inpatient Pharmacist Productivity – A Comparison of Computer Physician
                                 Order Entry (CPOE) versus a Paper-Based System
 Principal Investigator: Sujit Sansgiry
 Type of Award: Foundation
 Funding Agency: Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists Foundation
 Duration: 01/2013-01/2014
 Description of Project: The objective of this study, namely comparing the number
                                 of orders processed and the time associated with processing these orders in a CPOE
                                 versus non-CPOE system. The goal is to evaluate the impact of CPOE on pharmacist’s
                                 productivity which is crucial for pharmacy management in estimating the future allocation
                                 of pharmacist’s resources.
 
 3. Title: Development of Documentation Processes for Quality of Life Outcomes Measures
                                 for Patients in Niche Markets
 Principal Investigator: Sujit Sansgiry
 Type of Award: Private Profit
 Funding Agency: Statscript
 Duration: 08/2012-12/2013
 Description of Project: The project aims to develop systems and tools for collecting
                                 data that would measure health-related quality of life in the patient population that
                                 receives services at Statscript.
 
 4. Title: Impact of Complementary and Alternative Medication Use on Antiretroviral
                                 Plasma Concentrations and Adherence
 Principal Investigator: Rosa Yeh
 Type of Award: Foundation
 Funding Agency: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Foundation
 Duration: 10/2006-09/2008
 Description of Project: This research project seeks to investigate the impact of
                                 CAM use in HIV-infected patients who are taking ARVs.
 
 5. Title: The Role of Collaborative Team Approach to Managing Patients with Diabetes
                                 to Improve Economic and Health Outcomes
 Principal Investigator: Sujit Sansgiry
 Type of Award: State
 Funding Agency: Texas Pharmacy Association
 Duration: 08/2010-08/2013
 Description of Project: This is a retrospective study that will assess the role of
                                 pharmacists based on educational intervention on clinical economic and humanistic
                                 outcomes associated with diabetic patients.
 
 6. Title: A Randomized Controlled Study to Identify Workflow Factors
 Principal Investigator: Sujit Sansgiry
 Type of Award: Private Non-Profit
 Funding Agency: St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital
 Duration: 03/2011-03/2013
 Description of Project: The study will compare time devoted to medication administration
                                 in an intensive care unit with and without bedside bar code technology. Data collected
                                 previously will be analyzed to test the research objective.