Pharmacy Benefit Management Of Opioid Prescribing: The Role Of Employers And Insurers

In the last two decades, prescribing rates for opioids have increased nearly three-fold, from 76 million prescriptions in 1991 to approximately 207 million prescriptions in 2013.  This remarkable volume of opioid prescribing is unique to the United States, where 2015 prescribing amounts were nearly four times those in Europe.   Sadly, this much more frequent prescribing of addictive medications is connected to an epidemic of deaths related to abuse of opiates and other drugs of abuse.  Drug overdose deaths are now considered a national emergency, topping 59,000 in 2016.  The abuse of opioids can be seen as the leading public health emergency in the United States faces today. The startling increase in the use of opioids has many causes.  Two decades ago, health providers perceived that pain was under-treated, and in 1998 the Joint Commission formally recognized pain as the fifth vital sign.  At the same time, drug companies developed and promoted a new generation of synthetic opioids, and added extended release as well as abuse deterrence formulations.   Doctors prescribed, and patients consumed, these drugs in ever increasing quantities. At the same time, illicit forms of opioids became more widely available and abused.  Now, with the harrowing increase in mortality attributed to opioid abuse, it is time to look for new solutions. As the adverse consequences resulting from opioid misuse became apparent, employers sought the help of pharmacy benefit managers which re...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Costs and Spending Insurance and Coverage Organization and Delivery Payment Policy opiods PBMs Source Type: blogs