Understanding High-Risk Medication Use in Army Members and Its Impact on Well-Being
Official title: High-Risk Medication Prescription Receipt in the Military Health System: Elucidating Patterns and Substance Use Outcomes among Military Service Members
Funded at Henry M. Jackson Fdn for the Adv Mil/med · NIH-11365483 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies patterns of high-risk prescription use among military service members and how it relates to mental health and safety outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Henry M. Jackson Fdn for the Adv Mil/med NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bethesda, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $207,585 |
| NIH project number | 1R21DA064084-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11365483 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Active-duty service members and military beneficiaries whose prescription records are included in the SUPIC cohort and related datasets.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without access to or connection with military health records or those not represented in the SUPIC cohort may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze existing military health records to see how high-risk medications are prescribed over time and whether these patterns predict things like suicidality or hospital visits. The study builds on DHA’s HRM criteria and uses the SUPIC Next-Generation cohort to follow people longitudinally. By identifying which prescription patterns are most strongly linked with negative outcomes, the team hopes to inform safer prescribing and policy decisions for serving members. The work leverages large, real-world data to understand how medication use affects daily life, health, and readiness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide safer prescribing practices and policy changes to reduce harm and improve the health and readiness of service members.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research linked HRM criteria to suicide ideation, but longitudinal patterns and predictive performance of the criteria remain unexplored.
Where this research is happening
-
Henry M. Jackson Fdn for the Adv Mil/med
Bethesda, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Highland, Krista Beth — Henry M. Jackson Fdn for the Adv Mil/med
- Study coordinator: Highland, Krista Beth
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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.