JOHNSON CITY – Dr. Nick Hagemeier, an associate professor at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) subaward from Duke University for a grant submitted to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The award will continue to support his research into the role of pharmacists in preventing and treating substance use disorders.
The study, “Integrating pharmacy-based prevention and treatment of opioid and other substance use disorders: A survey of pharmacists and stakeholders,” will measure pharmacists’ ability to provide patient care and services for substance use screening, brief intervention, referral to treatment and medication treatment for opioid use disorders. The findings will inform barriers and facilitators related to pharmacist-provided services and patient care for those suffering from addiction.
“I continue to be encouraged by the potential impact community pharmacists can have in caring for patients who struggle with substance use disorders,” said Hagemeier. “This project will help us understand how best to equip pharmacists to provide evidence-based care. I’m excited to collaborate with Dr. (Li-Tzy) Wu and the Mid-Southern Node of the NIDA’s Clinical Trials Network.”
In addition, Hagemeier helped lead the writing of the Education section of a report, released in June, on best practices related to pain management from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force. Hagemeier was appointed to the group in 2018 by Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.