Research Interests

Dr. Schwartz is an addiction psychiatrist and former director of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His research interests include entry and engagement in drug abuse treatment, pharmacotherapy of opioid dependence, and health services research. He is principal investigator of a National Institute on Drug Abuse funded study examining personal, community and program factors impacting upon drug abuse treatment entry and is co-investigator on several other NIDA-funded studies. These include studies of methadone treatment as a re-entry strategy for heroin dependent prisoners, buprenorphine for re-entering prisoners in Puerto Rico and role induction as a means of engaging newly admitted patients treated with buprenorphine. Dr. Schwartz serves as a co-investigator on the Mid-Atlantic Clinical Trials Network and is a member of the NIDA-F services research Initial Review Group.

Selected Publications

Katz, E. C., Schwartz, R. P., King, S. D., Highfield, D. A., O’Grady, K. E., Billings, T., Gandhi, D., Weintraub, E., Glovinsky, D., Barksdale, W., & Brown, B. S. (in press). Brief v. extended buprenorphine detoxification in a community treatment program: Engagement and short-term outcomes. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Abstract

Mitchell, S. G., Kelly, S. M., Brown, B. S., Reisinger, H. S., Peterson, J. A., Ruhf, A., Agar, M. H., O’Grady, K. E.& Schwartz, R. P. (in press). Uses of diverted methadone and buprenorphine by opioid-addicted individuals in Baltimore, Maryland.  The American Journal on Addictions. Abstract

Mitchell, S. G., Kelly, S. M., Brown, B. S., Reisinger, H. S., Peterson, J. A., Ruhf, A., Agar, M. H., & Schwartz, R. P. (in press). Incarceration and opioid withdrawal: The experiences of methadone patients and out-of-treatment heroin users. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. Abstract

Peterson, J. A., Schwartz, R. P., Mitchell, S. G., Reisinger, H. S., Kelly, S. A., O’Grady, K. E., Brown, B. S., & Agar, M. H. (in press). Why don’t out-of-treatment individuals enter methadone treatment programs? International Journal of Drug Policy. Abstract

Reisinger, H. S., Schwartz, R. P., Mitchell, S. G., Peterson, J. A., Kelly, S. M., O’Grady, K. E., Marrari, E. A., Brown, B. S., & Agar, M. H. (in press). Premature discharge from methadone treatment: Patient perspectives. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. Abstract

Gryczynski, J., Schwartz, R. P., O’Grady, K., & Jaffe, J. H. (2009). Treatment entry among individuals on a waiting list for methadone maintenance. American Journal of Drug & Alcohol Abuse, 35(5), 290-294. Abstract

Gryczynski, J., Schwartz, R. P., O’Grady, K., & Jaffe, J. H. (2009). Dropout from interim methadone and subsequent comprehensive methadone maintenance. American Journal of Drug & Alcohol Abuse, 35, 394-398. Abstract

Kelly, S. M., Schwartz, R. P., O’Grady, K. E., Mitchell, S. G., Reisinger, H. S., Peterson, J. A., Agar, M. H., & Brown, B. S. (2009). Gender differences among in- and out-of-treatment opioid-addicted individuals. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 35, 38-42. Abstract

Kinlock, T. W., Gordon, M. S., Schwartz, R. P., Fitzgerald, T. T., & O’Grady, K. E. (2009). Methadone maintenance for prisoners: Results at twelve-months post-release. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 37, 277-285. Abstract

Schwartz, R. P, Jaffe J. H., O’Grady, K. E., Kinlock, T. W., Gordon, M. S., Kelly, S. M., Wilson, M. E., & Ahmed, A. (2009). Interim Methadone Treatment: Impact on Arrests. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 103, 148-154. Abstract

Gordon, M. S., Kinlock, T. W., Schwartz, R. P., & O’Grady, K. E. (2008). A randomized clinical trial of methadone maintenance for prisoners: Findings at 6-months post-release. Addiction, 103(8), 1333-1342. Abstract

Kinlock, T. W., Gordon, M. S., Schwartz, R. P., & O’Grady, E. (2008). A study of methadone maintenance for male prisoners: Three-month post-release outcomes. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35(1), 34-47. Abstract

Peterson, J. P., Schacht-Reisinger, H., Schwartz, R. P., Mitchell, S. G., Kelley, S. M., Brown, B. S., & Agar, M. H. (2008). Targeted sampling in drug abuse research: A review and case study. Field Methods, 20(2), 155-170. Abstract

Schwartz, R. P., Kelly, S. M., O'Grady, K. E., Mitchell, S. G., Peterson, J. A., Reisinger, H. S., Agar, M. H., & Brown, B. S. (2008). Attitudes toward buprenorphine and methadone among opioid-dependent individuals. The American Journal on Addictions, 17(5), 396-401. Abstract

Schwartz, R. P., Kelly, S. M., O’Grady, K. E., Peterson, J. A., Reisinger, H. S., Mitchell, S. G., Wilson, M. E., Agar, M. H. & Brown, B. S. (2008). In-treatment v. out-of-treatment opioid dependent adults: Drug use and criminal history. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 34(1), 17-28. Abstract

Schwartz, R. P., Highfield, D. A., Jaffe, J. H., Callaman, J. M., O’Grady, K. E. (2007). A randomized controlled trial of interim methadone maintenance: 10 month-follow-up. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 86, 30-36. Abstract

Schwartz, R. P., McKenzie, M., Rich J. D. (2007). Opioid addiction and incarceration: an overview. Medicine and Health/Rhode Island, 90, 157-158.

Kinlock, T. W., Gordon M. S., Schwartz, R. P., O’Grady, K. E., Fitzgerald T. T., Wilson, M. (2007). A randomized clinical trial of methadone maintenance for prisoners: Results at 1-month post-release. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 91(2-3), 220-7. Abstract

Highfield, D. A., Schwartz, R. P., Jaffe, J. H., Callaman, J., O’Grady, K. E. (2007). Intravenous and intranasal heroin dependent treatment seekers: Similarities and differences. Addiction, 102(11), 1816-23. Abstract

Katz, E. C., Brown, B. S., Schwartz, R. P., King, S. D., Weintraub, E., Barksdale, W. (2007). Impact of role induction on long-term drug treatment outcomes. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 26, 81-90. Abstract

Albizu-Garcia, C., Caraballo Correa G., Hernandez Viver, A. D., Kinlock, T. W., Gordon, M. S., Antron Avila, C., Colón Reyes, I., Schwartz, R. P. (2007). Buprenorphine-Naloxone Treatment for Pre-release Opioid Dependent Inmates in Puerto Rico. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 1(6), 126-132. Abstract

Kinlock, T. W., Schwartz, R. P., & Gordon, M. S. (2005). The significance of interagency collaboration in developing opioid agonist programs for prisoners. Corrections Compendium, 30(6-9), 28-30.

Kinlock, T. W., Battjes, R. J., & Schwartz, R. P. (2002). A novel opioid maintenance program for prisoners: Preliminary findings. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 22, 141-147. Abstract