Caleb Alexander, MD

Professional Titles

• Co-Director, Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness

Background

Centers and Institutes

• Drug Safety and Effectiveness, Center for
• Health Services and Outcomes Research, Center for

Additional Academic Titles

Joint Appointment in Medicine

Research Interests

Drug effectiveness, Drug safety, Drug utilization, Effects of pharmaceutical regulatory and payment policies, Food and Drug Administration, Patient-provider communication, Patient-provider decision making, Pharmacoepidemiology, Prescription drugs

Lab Website

Caleb Alexander Lab - Lab Website

• Research in the Caleb Alexander Lab examines prescription drug use. This includes studies of population-based patterns and determinants of pharmaceutical use, clinical decision-making about prescription drugs, and the effect of changes in regulatory and payment policies on pharmaceutical utilization. We have special expertise in conducting survey-based studies and analyzing secondary data sources, including administrative claims, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

Research Summary

Dr. Alexander is internationally renowned for his research in prescription drug utilization. His work focuses on population-based patterns and determinants of pharmaceutical use, clinical decision-making regarding prescription drugs, and the impact of changes in regulatory and payment policy on pharmaceutical utilization.

In addition to his expertise conducting survey-based investigations, Dr. Alexander has extensive experience analyzing secondary data sources, including administrative claims, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

He currently serves as the principal or co-principal investigator of RO1s from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The studies are examining the effect of FDA regulatory communications and direct-to-consumer advertising on prescription and non-prescription health care utilization.

Selected Publications

• Daubresse M, Alexander GC. “The uphill battle facing antiobesity drugs.” Int J Obes (Lond). 2015 Mar;39(3):377-8. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2014.169. Epub 2014 Sep 12. No abstract available.

• Daubresse M, Gleason PP, Peng Y, Shah ND, Ritter ST, Alexander GC. “Impact of a drug utilization review program on high-risk use of prescription controlled substances.” Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2014 Apr;23(4):419-27. doi: 10.1002/pds.3487. Epub 2013 Jul 24.

• Fain K, Daubresse M, Alexander GC. “The Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act and postmarketing commitments.” JAMA. 2013 Jul 10;310(2):202-4. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.7900. No abstract available.

• Hwang CS, Alexander GC. “Failure to fill a first prescription of a new medication is common in primary care settings.” Evid Based Med. 2014 Oct;19(5):196. doi: 10.1136/ebmed-2014-110026. Epub 2014 Jun 19. No abstract available.

• Hwang CS, Chang HY, Alexander GC. “Impact of abuse-deterrent OxyContin on prescription opioid utilization.” Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2015 Feb;24(2):197-204. doi: 10.1002/pds.3723. Epub 2014 Nov 13.

• Lyapustina T, Rutkow L, Chang HY, Daubresse M, Ramji AF, Faul M, Stuart EA, Alexander GC. “Effect of a ‘pill mill’ law on opioid prescribing and utilization: The case of Texas.” Drug Alcohol Depend. 2016 Feb 1;159:190-7. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.12.025. Epub 2015 Dec 31.

• Rabbani A, Alexander GC. “Cost savings associated with filling a 3-month supply of prescription medicines.” Appl Health Econ Health Policy. 2009;7(4):255-64. doi: 10.2165/11313610-000000000-00000.

• Rutkow L, Chang HY, Daubresse M, Webster DW, Stuart EA, Alexander GC. “Effect of Florida's prescription drug monitoring program and pill mill laws on opioid prescribing and use.” JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Oct;175(10):1642-9. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.3931.

• Tseng CW, Brook RH, Alexander GC, Hixon AL, Keeler EB, Mangione CM, Chen R, Jackson EA, Dudley RA. “Health information technology and physicians' knowledge of drug costs.” Am J Manag Care. 2010 Apr 1;16(4):e105-10.

Courses & Syllabi

• Pharmacoepidemiology: Drug Utilization, Department of Epidemiology, 340.684.81, 1/1/15 - 12/31/16
• Problems in the Design of Epidemiologic Studies: Proposal Development and Critique, Department of Epidemiology, 340.715.01, 1/1/15 - 12/31/16

Honors

• Fellow, American College of Physicians, 1/1/11
• Sigma Xi Award for Impact on Science, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 1/1/09
• Outstanding Physician Scientist Award, Central Society for Clinical Research, 1/1/08
• Career Development Award, Central Society for Clinical Research, 1/1/08
• Research Finalist, International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Annual Meeting, 1/1/07
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Faculty Scholar, 1/1/06
• John A. Oremus Memorial Scholar, MacLean Center for Medical Ethics, University of Chicago, 1/1/03
• Edward W. Holmes Resident Research Award, University of Pennsylvania, 1/1/01

Graduate Program Affiliations