William C. Becker

Instructor of Medicine
Section of General Internal Medicine

Research Interests

Dr. Becker’s scholarly work focuses on efficacy and safety of opioid analgesics for chronic pain and improving primary care treatment of chronic pain. Previous work has described the prevalence of and risk factors for prescription opioid abuse.

Clinical Activities

Dr. Becker serves as an attending physician at the Chase Clinic as well as on the inpatient floors at Waterbury Hospital. He is a general internist with Addiction Medicine certification through the American Society of Addiction Medicine. In addition, Dr. Becker will serve as the attending physician in Chase Clinic’s soon-to-be opened Pain Management clinic.

Teaching Activities

Dr. Becker is a clinician educator who precepts residents in the Yale Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency Program on the general medical wards and in the outpatient continuity clinics.

Recent Publications

• Becker WC, Fiellin DA, Gallagher RM, Barth KS, Ross JT, Oslin DW. Chronic pain and its association with prescription drug abuse in veterans. Pain Medicine. 2009: 10(3); 531-536.
• Becker WC, Meghani SH, Barth KS, Wiedemer N, Gallagher, RM. Characteristics and outcomes of patients discharged from the opioid renewal clinic at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. American Journal on Addictions. 2009: 18(2); 135-139.
• Barry DT, Irwin KS, Jones ES, Becker WC, Tetrault JM, Sullivan LE, Hansen H, O’Connor PG, Schottenfeld RS, Fiellin DA. Integrating buprenorphine treatment into office-based practice: A qualitative study. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2009: 24 (2); 218-225.
• Becker WC, Tetrault JM, Desai RA, Sullivan LE, Fiellin DA. Non-medical use, abuse and dependence on prescription opioids among U.S. adults: Psychiatric, medical and substance abuse correlates. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2008: 94(1-3); 38-44.
• Becker WC, Fiellin DA, Merrill JO, Olsen Y, Schulman B, Finkelstein R, Busch SH. Opioid use disorder in the United States: insurance status and treatment access. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2008: 94 (1-3); 207-13.
• Becker WC, Fiellin DA, Desai RA. Non-medical use, abuse and dependence on sedatives and tranquilizers among U.S. adults: Psychiatric and socio-demographic correlates. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2007: 90 (2-3); 280-87.
• Martell BA, O’Connor PG, Kerns RD, Becker WC, Morales KH, Kosten TR, Fiellin DA Opioid treatment for chronic back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of their prevalence, efficacy and association with addiction. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2007: 146; 116-127.

Contact

Campus Address

WHHC
Internal Medicine, 3rd floor
67 Robbins Street
Waterbury, CT 06721

E-mail
william.becker@yale.edu

Office Phone
203-573-7667

Fax
203-573-6707