Opioid painkiller abuse and physicians’ dispensing of repackaged drugs top the list of cost drivers in the 2012 Survey of Prescription Drug Management by CompPharma, LLC, a consortium of workers’ compensation pharmacy benefit managers.
Respondents say opioids are the biggest problem in workers’ compensation pharmacy management and most report implementing programs to address opioid overuse and abuse. These programs include nurses conducting specialty reviews, pharmacists contacting treating physicians, physician peer-to-peer contact, urine drug testing, education on proper dosage and monitoring and increased use of WC-PBM drug utilization, fraud and abuse programs.
