SSW Professor Jerry Cochran Receives $20,000 Grant to Help Fight Prescription Drug Abuse

September 29, 2014      Pitt School of Social Work Professor Receives $20,000 Grant to Help Fight Prescription Drug Abuse His team will develop a new screening process for pharmacists  PITTSBURGH--- University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work Assistant Professor Jerry Cochran has received a $20,000 grant from the Staunton Farm Foundation to develop a Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model for pharmacists. The nonmedical use of prescription opioids and the overdose death epidemic in the US have escalated to the point where multiple interventions addressing the problem are being explored in order to improve health and save lives. While SBIRT is available in many healthcare settings due to the presence of social workers, it is not available in pharmacy settings. The current project proposes to adapt the traditional SBIRT intervention for delivery in the pharmacy setting for patients at-risk or suspected of misusing opioid pain medication. With healthcare reform already including these screenings, there is potential for a major national impact. “Most people may not visit their doctor’s office very often, but they’ll go to pharmacies on a regular basis” says Cochran. “This project provides access to an evidence-based service to those who are in need, but not likely to receive screenings elsewhere.” In addition to the University of Pittsburgh, Cochran will be working with partners from Johns Hopkins, Boston College, the University of Texas, El Paso, King’s College London, and others. For more information, contact  Shannon Murphy, [412-648-9404 (office); 412-335-4457 (cell); shm87@pitt.edu]