Dr. Jerry Avorn is a distinguished leader in pharmaceutical outcomes research and medication safety at the forefront of evidence-based prescribing practices. He serves as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief Emeritus of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's Hospital, where he has established himself as a preeminent authority in drug utilization and therapeutic decision-making. Born in 1948, he earned his BA in psychology and pre-med from Columbia University in 1969 and completed his MD at Harvard Medical School in 1974, followed by internal medicine training at Cambridge Hospital and Beth Israel Hospital. In 1998, he founded the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's Hospital, which has grown into one of the world's leading centers for medication research with 24 faculty members and 60 research staff dedicated to advancing pharmaceutical science and policy.
Dr. Avorn pioneered the transformative practice of academic detailing, developing a systematic methodology to educate physicians about evidence-based, cost-effective prescribing using approaches analogous to pharmaceutical marketing techniques. His groundbreaking work demonstrated how pharmacists, nurses, and physicians can effectively influence prescribing behavior through scientifically rigorous educational outreach, fundamentally changing how healthcare systems approach medication education. He founded Alosa Health, a nonprofit organization dedicated to implementing academic detailing programs that have been adopted by numerous healthcare systems including Pennsylvania, Washington, DC, Kentucky, Australia, Israel, and Nova Scotia. His research on COX-2 inhibitors was among the first to identify increased cardiovascular risks associated with Vioxx, contributing to major safety reconsiderations in the pharmaceutical industry, and his testimony in Vioxx litigation underscored his commitment to patient safety over commercial interests.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Avorn has profoundly shaped national and international discourse on pharmaceutical policy through his leadership roles and advisory positions. As past president of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, he has influenced global standards for medication research and evaluation, while his division continues to train the next generation of researchers in drug safety and pharmacoepidemiology. His work on innovative risk-sharing agreements, such as the osteoporosis drug Actonel arrangement with Health Alliance, has pioneered new models for pharmaceutical reimbursement based on clinical outcomes. Dr. Avorn remains actively engaged in developing and refining approaches to improve medication use, with his commitment to translating research into practical applications that enhance patient care and optimize healthcare resources representing a lasting legacy in the field of clinical pharmacology.
