How pharmaceutical messaging shaped veterans' views on opioid pain medicines
Official title: The Impact of Pharmaceutical Industry Messaging on the Opioid Crisis among U.S. Military Veterans
Funded at Ndri-USA, INC. · NIH-11317000 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how drug company messages changed U.S. military veterans' beliefs about opioid pain medicines and how that affected their care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ndri-USA, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 28, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $621,828 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA058016-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11317000 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are U.S. military veterans with chronic pain who have used or been offered opioid medications, especially those involved with veteran service organizations or advocacy channels.
✕Less likely to help
People without connections to the U.S. veteran community, those with only short-term acute pain, or individuals not exposed to opioid-related messaging may not directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
As a veteran with chronic pain, this project will search pharmaceutical marketing materials, litigation records, and veteran-focused publications to find messages about opioid medicines. Researchers will use computer-based text mining and content analysis alongside interviews with veterans who have used or been offered opioids to hear how those messages affected them. The team will compare findings across legal documents, advocacy channels, and personal accounts to identify common messaging themes. Results will be turned into practical tools like clinician guidance, web resources, and policy recommendations to support safer pain care for veterans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reduce misleading industry messaging, improve conversations about safer pain options, and inform policies that protect veterans from harmful prescribing.
How similar studies have gone: Previous legal and content-analytic studies have documented pharmaceutical influence on opioid use, but using mixed methods focused specifically on veterans and advocacy networks is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
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Ndri-USA, INC.
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Haddock, Christopher Keith — Ndri-USA, INC.
- Study coordinator: Haddock, Christopher Keith
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.