Perspectives
Pharmacist inquiries to doctors reduced opioid prescriptions
Pharmacist intervention on high risk users associated with reduced use and cost
April 21, 2015Pharmacist intervention associated with reduced use and cost of controlled substances among high risk users
Pharmacists flagged the files of Medicare members with high controlled substance (CS) scores. A CS score combines a weighted mix of :
1) volume of controlled substance claims,
2) number of prescribers and pharmacies, and
3) rate of utilization of controlled substances.
Those members’ doctors were contacted to verify if the CS therapy was still appropriate or if changes were needed. Of the members who met study criteria, half had doctor-directed changes to therapy. This decreased members’ average CS scores by 40%.
Related news
Perspectives
March 30, 2023
Drug oversupply, or stockpiling, due to overlapping drug refills can cause unnecessary drug costs
If you have a chronic condition, your pharmacy may notify you advance of…
Perspectives
March 28, 2023
Biosimilars are at the door, Part 3
News about biosimilars is everywhere. Sometimes you just need the basics. This four-part…
Perspectives
March 27, 2023
Specialty Drug Pipeline Update: March 2023
This monthly pipeline wrap-up provides a review of newly approved specialty drugs, recent…