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is pretty good.
Here are the very preliminary takeaways from the latest Survey of Prescription Drug Management in Workers’ Comp...so far 21 phone interviews completed and several more still to go.
[if you’re new to MCM, we’ve done an annual Survey since 2004, past public reports are here (respondents get a much more detailed version)]
- Drug spend continues to decline, although at first blush it looks like the drop is less than we’ve seen in recent years
- Opioid spend is also continuing its downward trend
- Generic efficiency – the percentage of scripts that could be filled with generics that are filled with generics – is just shy of 100%
- Payers are still struggling with legacy opioid patients with respondents identifying patient resistance (mostly fear driven), recalcitrant prescribers, attorneys and the lack of regulatory/legislative support as key obstacles
- Physician dispensing is once again rearing its ugly/profiteering/self-serving/taxpayer-abusing head.
- Payers want more transparency while fully understanding PBMs need to make a profit.
- Topicals seem to be the latest in the scam-a-rama that is the physician dispensing industry.
- Respondents are generally very open to non-pharmaceutical approaches to pain management – much more on this in a future post.
What does this mean for you?
PBMs and payers – well done. Your work has saved countless lives while helping countless others regain control of theirs.