Federal Grant Award Summary

Yale University received a $158,545 Project Grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) beginning March 1, 2026 and concluding February 29, 2028. This award supports a K99/R00 career development project led by Dr. Tarfa, a pharmacist and health services researcher, to adapt and pilot test an integrated HIV and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) care program within community pharmacy settings. The project addresses significant gaps in coordinated care for individuals with co-occurring HIV and SUD by leveraging the accessibility and patient receptivity of community pharmacies.

Under this award, Dr. Tarfa and her multidisciplinary mentorship team will conduct community pharmacy assessments through a statewide survey and focus groups to identify implementation determinants, current service provision capacity, and readiness for integrated care. Additionally, the project will utilize community engagement studios for intervention adaptation and co-design involving individuals with lived experience of HIV and/or SUD, pharmacists, and clinicians to refine implementation strategies. During the K99 phase, the principal investigator will receive training in addiction medicine, survey methodology, pharmacy workflow, participatory research methods, and implementation science to establish her as an independent investigator in this emerging area of pharmacy-based integrated care delivery.