February 2019
Opioid misuse in America, and the human and financial cost it wreaks, has reached epidemic status. According to a recent in-depth study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), roughly 12.5 million Americans abuse prescription opioids annually, resulting in over 33,000 deaths. This is a legitimate public health issue, and the president has declared it a public health emergency. Combined with a $78+ billion economic cost, the impact is felt by everyone.
It's important that your employees are informed. That's why we support responsible use of opioids and access for those who need them, while preventing misuse of these medications.
We have been committed to this work going back years and have implemented some policies that other carriers are just now putting into practice. In 2018, Pharmacy Services is implementing prescribing policies that align with the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Those include:
- Reinforcing pre-authorization for chronic opioid use
- Strengthening pharmacy and provider notices for our members who use high-dose opioids or dangerous medication combinations, and for members getting opioids from multiple prescribers and pharmacies
- Instituting quantity limits or day-supply limits
Providing a toolkit of resources for providers, helping them help our members
In addition, we support public policies aimed at reducing barriers to addiction treatment, reinforcing prescription guidelines and limits, expanding prescription drug monitoring requirements and increasing access to overdose medications.
Properly disposing of unwanted medications can help reduce the potential for abuse. Drug Take-Back Day is April 28, and it's a great time to clean out medicine cabinets.
Opioid abuse is an epidemic that affects all of us, and we're doing our part to make sure our members are educated. We'll keep you updated and aware of what we're doing to help your employees moving forward.