Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
Prescription Monitoring Programs are state-based electronic information systems that collect and deliver information about the drugs dispensed to patients, the prescribers thereof, and the pharmacies that do the dispensing. Each state now has legislation enabling a PMP, with New Hampshire … Continue reading What’s a Prescription Monitoring Program and why you should care
Read More...My post earlier this week about the new opioid prescriber audit program recently announced by Texas’ Department of Insurance generated a rather interesting back-and-forth with TDI staff. First, they were “disappointed” I didn’t post their entire response to the questions … Continue reading Texas responds…
Read More...NCCI released their latest research on the use of opioids in workers comp, and the news is chilling indeed. And there’s one outstanding puzzling conclusion. Here are a few of the key take-aways. – Per-claim narcotic costs have increased (almost … Continue reading NCCI’s new narcotics report – the highlights
Read More...Late on Friday the true work comp nerds stuck around for the research workshop, while the smarter NCCI attendees headed home or hit the golf course. Barry Lipton led off with the latest info on NCCI’s research into temporary total … Continue reading NCCI research wrap-up; disability duration drivers
Read More...Tis the season for drug trend reports. Recent releases from PMSI, Express Scripts (ESI), and Progressive Medical show an ever-increasing level of sophistication and growing insight into cost drivers in workers comp pharmacy. Moreover, the layout, graphics, use of charts … Continue reading Work comp drug trends reports – tis the season
Read More...Attendance must be up – significantly. Can’t get a hotel room anywhere in town, restaurants are booked solid, lobby bar – and most others around the convention center – are SRO (standing room only), and there’s pretty good traffic in … Continue reading RIMS Day One – continued…
Read More...I’m attending the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit in Orlando. The first conference of its kind, there are representatives from law enforcement, Congresspeople, physicians, Federal regulators, patient advocates and pharma experts, all focused on what this morning’s keynote speaker described … Continue reading The overwhelming crisis of addiction
Read More...If patients are prescribed opioids, ‘best practices’ calls for – assessment of risk for dependency and addiction; – completion of an Opioid Agreement: – ongoing assessment of pain and functionality; and – random urine drug testing (UDT). This last has … Continue reading The drug testing controversy
Read More...The single biggest crisis facing workers comp is NOT the market cycle, employment, rate adequacy, or regulatory changes. It is opioids. As Gary Franklin MD, Washington state fund’s Medical Director says, this is a “hair on fire” issue. I’m not … Continue reading Is your hair on fire yet?
Read More...Texas will be publishing ‘report cards’ for physicians treating workers comp patients, but won’t include opioid prescribing patterns as a criterion. That’s unfortunate – at best. According to a piece by Bill Kidd in WorkCompCentral, the DWC – not the … Continue reading Texas’ DWC misses the mark
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