Center to Advance Research Excellence (OPTIC)Center to Advance Research Excellence (OPTIC).

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ABSTRACT The U.S. is in the midst of an opioid crisis, and efforts to tackle the complex and dynamic nature of this public health challenge must comprehensively consider a multitude of contributing factors. States have implemented a wide range policies and initiatives in response. However, the dynamic nature of the crisis and speed with which different policy approaches are being implemented pose numerous challenges for researchers evaluating the effects of such efforts. These challenges stem in part from limited information regarding policy implementation, insufficient information about policy characteristics that may influence effectiveness, little consideration of how the chosen analytic method may influence findings given simultaneous or concurrent implementation of multiple policies, and limited training on how to best communicate findings to policymakers. To address these challenges, the proposed Center for Opioid Policy Research (COPR) will serve as a national resource, fostering innovative and high-quality research in the opioid policy arena and developing and disseminating methods, tools, and information to the research community, policymakers, and the general public. Leveraging the extensive experience of COPR leadership and our External Advisory Board, COPR will create resources of significant value to those working in this policy domain. We will develop a state-level opioid policy database, accessible to both researchers and policymakers, that assembles comprehensive opioid policy information from a variety of domains (e.g., health care, pharmaceuticals, law enforcement) into a single standardized data resource that offers detailed timelines of various policies and groups of policies within each state. Drawing from this resource, we will conduct detailed assessments and documentation of new and emerging policy dimensions for which we can provide robust scientific support demonstrating causal effects. Through the Center’s access to multiple, complementary secondary data sources that capture a broad range of measures relevant to both licit and illicit opioids, we will develop new metrics of local opioid markets that can be used to evaluate or monitor impacts of policies in local areas. Finally, we will use simulation methods to design a simulation platform to develop robust new methods for identifying the joint impact of multiple, co- occurring polices. To enhance awareness and use of COPR findings and foster effective communication with policymakers and the broader research community, COPR will rely upon a multipronged dissemination and educational approach. The Center website will provide a comprehensive data repository and rich resources on state-of-the-art methods and metrics. In-person and online communication and methods workshops will highlight key Center project findings and provide training on how best to communicate research with nontechnical audiences. Finally, a strategic marketing campaign will raise visibility of the Center’s data, research and educational resources among substance abuse researchers and policymakers.