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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

John White, PhD¹, David Duncan, DrPH², and Thomas Nicholson, PhD¹. (1) Dept. of Public Health, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Blvd., Bowling Green, KY 42101, (2) Duncan and Associates, 1347 Kentucky Street, Bowling Green, KY 42101, 270-796-6713, david.duncan@accessky.net

Drug policy has implications for funding, treatment resources, and the nature of patient care populations. Such drug policy issues as decriminalization, compulsory treatment, and harm reduction have implications for health services research. For example, decriminalization could decrease one of the major sources of referral into drug treatment programs, effectively changing the payer mix of treatment programs. What impact would this change have on funding of drug treatment programs, availability of treatment slots in an already crowded system, and the case mix observed in these programs? It is important that health advocates and policy professionals begin discussing these effects before the only consideration becomes cost.

Learning Objectives:

• - List current issues in drug policy
• - Describe their effects on Health Services Delivery
• - Prioritize areas of health services research addressing these issues.

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Drugs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered