WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- During a briefing
on meaningful solutions for safer opioid prescribing with
Congressional Representatives Ann McLane
Kuster (D-NH) and Tom
MacArthur (R-NJ), Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) today
announced that an initial 90-day review of its Advanced Opioid
ManagementSM program shows that the comprehensive
solution is protecting people using an opioid medication,
particularly those taking an opioid for the first time.
In the first 90 days since the program began on September 1, 2017, the company observed a nearly
60 percent reduction in the average days supply for patients
receiving an opioid prescription for the first time, from 18.6 days
supply per prescription claim before the launch of the program, to
7.5 days supply per claim after the start of the program.
In addition, the program's utilization management protocols
ensured:
- Nearly 96 percent of patients prescribed an opioid for the
first time started with a 7-day supply or less;
- Approximately 87% of patients prescribed opioids for the first
time who were prescribed a long-acting opioid as initial therapy
were redirected to safer, short-acting formulations.
"In just the first 90 days of the program, we have demonstrated
our ability to help our plans address the national opioid epidemic
by promoting greater compliance with CDC guidelines and
significantly reducing excessive and inappropriate opioid
prescribing," said Snezana Mahon,
PharmD, vice president clinical product development, Express
Scripts. "Further, our Neuroscience Therapeutic Resource Center
pharmacists are making a difference when it comes to getting
patients on a path toward safer use of opioid medications through
the hundreds of hours of conversations they are having with
patients about opioid risks and safe disposal."
As part of the Advanced Opioid Management program, Express
Scripts Therapeutic Resource Center® (TRC) pharmacists provide
proactive counseling on safe opioid use during calls with
first-time opioid patients that last an average of 20-30 minutes in
the comfort and privacy of the patient's own home. To date, the
program also has sent thousands of educational letters and safe
disposal bags to patients who received an opioid prescription, and
thousands of alerts to prescribers when a patient has accumulated
an unsafe amount of opioid medication.
"As parents who lost a child to an overdose, we cannot express
enough the importance of reducing excess medication in our homes
while increasing the amount of patient education that takes place
when opioids are prescribed," said Jim and
Jeanne Moser, founders of the organization, Zero Left.
"Thoughtful programs, like the one created by Express Scripts, make
a significant difference with every patient they touch."
Comprehensive, Proactive Approach to Safer Opioid
Use
Express Scripts Advanced Opioid Management is based on
CDC prescribing guidelines and was pilot-tested in The Express
Scripts Lab for six months with more than 100,000 members. The
clinically driven program helps patients safely manage pain while
limiting the potential for negative outcomes, such as opioid use
disorder or death.
Working across the care continuum, the program shields patients
and payers by minimizing early opioid exposure, helping to prevent
progression to overuse or abuse, and encouraging the safe disposal
of unused medications.
Because the opioid epidemic is such a complex issue,
effectuating change requires addressing all parties that influence
opioid decisions. Express Scripts is the first in the industry to
offer a comprehensive solution to the opioid crisis that addresses
potential behavior and safety gaps at each touch point:
- The patient, with whom we provide additional care and support
to educate about safety concerns and proper disposal of
medication;
- The pharmacy, where our clinical edits mandate responsible
dispensing in all pharmacy channels; and
- The doctor's office, where we alert physicians when a patient
has accumulated an unsafe amount of opioid medication.
"Seeing these types of results at such an early stage shows that
by working together with our clients and introducing innovative
ways to protect the safety of patients, we have the ability to make
a significant impact," said Mahon. "Our solution is positively
impacting our nation and helping patients take better control of
their health with additional knowledge, more support and less risk
of becoming addicted to opioid medications."
About Express Scripts
Express Scripts puts medicine
within reach of tens of millions of people by aligning with plan
sponsors, taking bold action and delivering patient-centered care
to make better health more affordable and accessible.
Headquartered in St. Louis,
Express Scripts provides integrated pharmacy benefit management
services, including network-pharmacy claims processing, home
delivery pharmacy care, specialty pharmacy care, specialty benefit
management, benefit-design consultation, drug utilization review,
formulary management, and medical and drug data analysis services.
Express Scripts also distributes a full range of biopharmaceutical
products and provides extensive cost-management and patient-care
services.
For more information, visit Lab.Express-Scripts.com or follow
@ExpressScripts on Twitter.
Media Contact:
Jennifer
Luddy
Express Scripts
(908) 794-9226
jennifer_luddy@express-scripts.com
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SOURCE Express Scripts