Michael Fischer

Michael Fischer, MD, MS, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Physician in the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His research interests include prescription drug reimbursement policy, electronic prescribing, and medication adherence. Dr. Fischer directs the National Resource Center for Academic Detailing, an initiative funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to promote increased use of educational outreach to healthcare providers. Additional research interests include appropriate use of prescription drugs and assessment of complications of prescription drug therapy.

Dr. Fischer attended Harvard College, Yale University School of Medicine, and Harvard School of Public Health, and completed residency training in Primary Care Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His clinical practice is in primary care at The Phyllis Jen Center for Primary Care.

Selected Publications

• Fischer MA, Avorn J. Economic consequences of underuse of generic drugs: evidence from Medicaid and implications for prescription drug benefit plans. Health Serv Res 2003;38:1051-63.
• Fischer MA, Avorn J. Economic implications of evidence-based prescribing for hypertension: can better care cost less?JAMA 2004;291:1850-6.
• Fischer MA, Avorn J. Potential savings from increased use of generic drugs in the elderly: what the experience of Medicaid and other insurance programs means for a Medicare drug benefit. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Safety 2004;13:207-14.
• Fischer MA, Lilly CM, Churchill WW, Baden LR, Avorn J. An algorithmic computerised order entry approach to assist in the prescribing of new therapeutic agents: case study of activated protein C at an academic medical centre. Drug Saf 2004;27:1253-61.
• Fischer MA, Schneeweiss S, Avorn J, Solomon DH. Medicaid prior-authorization programs and the use of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors. N Engl J Med 2004;351:2187-94.
• Fischer MA, Solomon DS, Teich JM, Avorn J. Conversion from intravenous to oral medications: assessment of a computerized intervention for hospitalized patients. Arch Intern Med 2003;163(24):2585-9.
• Fischer MA, Winkelmayer WC, Rubin RH, Avorn J. The hepatotoxicity of antifungal medications in bone marrow transplant recipients. Clin Infect Dis 2005;41:301-7.
• Fischer MA, Servi AD, Polinski JM, Wang PS. Restrictions for antidepressant medications in children – a review of Medicaid policy. Psychiatric Services 2007; 58(1):135-8.
• Fischer MA, Morris CA, Winkelmayer WC, Avorn J. Non-oncologic use of human recombinant erythropoietin in hospitalized patients. Archives of Internal Medicine 2007;167:840-6.
• Polinski JM, Wang PS, Fischer MA. Medicaid’s prior authorization program and access to atypical antipsychotic medications.Health Affairs 2007; 26:750-60.
• Fischer MA, Choudhry NK, Winkelmayer WC. Impact of Medicaid prior authorization on angiotensin receptor blockers: Can policy promote rational prescribing? Health Affairs 2007; 26: 800-7.
• Patrick AM, Avorn J, Winkelmayer WC, Fischer MA. Strategies for the management of suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: a cost-effectiveness analysis. Pharmacoeconomics 2007;25: 949-61.
• Fischer MA, Stedman MR, Vogeli C, Ferris TG, Weissman JS. Uptake of electronic prescribing in community-based practices. Journal of General Internal Medicine 2008; 23: 358-63.
• Fischer MA, Stedman MS, Vogeli C, Ferris T, Brookhart MA, Weissman JS. Effect of electronic prescribing with formulary decision support on medication use and costs. Archives of Internal Medicine 2008; 168:2433-9.
• Fischer MA, Polinski JM, Servi AD, Agnew-Blais J, Kaci L, Solomon, DH. Prior authorization for biologic DMARDs: A description of United States Medicaid programs. Arthritis Care & Research 2008; 59:1611-17.
• Fischer MA, Stedman MR, Lii J, Vogeli C, Shrank WH, Brookhart MA, Weissman JS. Primary Medication Non-Adherence: Analysis of 195,930 Electronic Prescriptions. Journal of General Internal Medicine 2010; 25(4):284–90.
• Agarwal R, Angst CM, Desroches C, Fischer MA. Technological viewpoints (frames) about electronic prescribing in physician practices. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association 2010; 17(4): 425-431.
• Shrank WH, Choudhry NK, Agnew-Blais J, Federman AD, Liberman JN, Liu J, Kesselheim AS, Brookhart MA, Fischer MA. State generic substitution laws can lower drug outlays under Medicaid. Health Affairs 2010; 29(7):1383-90.
• Avorn J, Fischer MA. “Bench to behavior”: translating comparative effectiveness research into improved clinical practice. Health Affairs 2010; 29(10);1891-1900.
• Desroches C, Angst CM, Agarwal R, Fischer MA. Differences Between Integrated And Stand-Alone E-Prescribing Systems Have Implications For Future Use. Health Affairs 2010; 29(12):2268-77.
• Solomon DH, Mogun H, Garneau K, Fischer MA. The risk of fractures in older adults using anti-hypertensive medications. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 2011; 26(7):1561-7.
• Fischer MA, Choudhry NK, Brill G, Avorn J, Schneeweiss S, Liberman J, Hutchins D, Brennan TA, Shrank WH. Trouble getting started: predictors of primary medication non-adherence. American Journal of Medicine 2011; 124(11):1081.e9.
• Fischer MA, Avorn J. Academic Detailing Can Play A Key Role In Assessing and Implementing Comparative Effectiveness Research Findings. Health Affairs 2012; 31(10):2206-12.
• Bateman BT, Hernandez-Diaz S, Huybrechts KF, Palmsten K, Mogun H, Ecker JL, Fischer MA. Patterns of outpatient antihypertensive medication use during pregnancy in a Medicaid population. Hypertension. 2012; 60(4):913-20.