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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.