ICRE News

July 9, 2019

Colleen Judge-Golden’s Research Featured on NPR/WESA

Colleen Judge-Golden, a trainee in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pittsburgh and a doctoral student in the PhD in Clinical and Translational Science Program here at the Institute for Clinical Research Education (ICRE), was interviewed by Pittsburgh’s NPR News Station WESA regarding her recently published research on how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs dispenses oral contraceptives.

Previous research done by Judge-Golden’s mentor and ICRE faculty member Dr. Sonya Borrero found that more than 40 percent of women veterans have experienced a gap of at least one week between contraceptive refills, which are currently dispensed in 3-month supplies. Using a mathematical model to examine VA prescription data, Judge-Golden and her colleagues determined an estimated 583 unintended pregnancies per year could be prevented if the VA switched to dispensing 12-month supplies. This would in turn save the VA $2 million annually in associated costs.

The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, was first-authored by Judge-Golden and senior-authored by Dr. Borrero, who was also interviewed in the WESA story, published on July 8, 2019.