Episode 23: Benjamin Chibuye on the role of physician altruism in opioid prescribing

This episode’s guest is Benjamin Chibuye, a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Danish Centre for Health Economics (DaCHE) in Department of Public Health at the University of Southern Denmark. He presents his working paper on physician altruism and opioid prescribing, focusing on how Danish general practitioners respond to national guidelines in light of their professional motivations. The conversation explores the complexities of health provider behaviour, the role of public service motivation, and the broader policy implications for addressing opioid overuse.

Guest: Benjamin Chibuye, Postdoctoral Researcher, Danish Centre for Health Economics, University of Southern Denmark

Hosts: Fanny Tallgren & Andrea De Palma

Timestamps:

(01:05) Benjamin’s academic journey and research interests in development and health economics

(06:08) Study overview: physician altruism, opioid guidelines, and the double agency problem

(14:16) Measuring altruism through survey data and linking it to prescribing behaviour

(20:00) Analytical strategy: using registry data and a difference-in-differences design

(27:25) Why physician heterogeneity matters for health policy effectiveness

(32:57) Reflections on the supply side of the opioid crisis and advice for early-career researchers