ST. LOUIS, Oct. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As President Trump
signs bipartisan legislation to help improve our nation's response
to the opioid abuse epidemic, Express Scripts (NASDAQ:
ESRX) released new data today showing a dramatic shift in
first-time opioid users enrolled in its Advanced Opioid
ManagementSM solution being prescribed safer, short-term
prescriptions of 7 days or less. Short-term opioid prescriptions
can significantly reduce the risk of a patient misusing or abusing
a medication. The new opioid law supports Express Scripts' ongoing
efforts by strengthening our ability to work collaboratively with
patients, prescribers, pharmacies, and plan sponsors to help stop
opioid abuse and misuse.
In just one year, Express Scripts' Advanced Opioid Management
solution has seen enrolled clients achieve notable results that
align with recommendations put forth earlier by the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control & Prevention:
- 93 percent of patients prescribed an opioid for the first time
started with a 7-day supply or less;
- 77 percent of patients prescribed a long-acting opioid as
initial therapy were redirected to a safer, short-acting
medication; and
- The average day's supply per claim for first time opioid users
dropped 55 percent, from 18.6 days prior to enrollment to 8.3
days.
Overall, clients that adopted our utilization management
criteria saw an average of 94.8% of opioid prescriptions covered
for 7 days or less after one year. In addition, these clients also
experienced a 73.2% average decrease in the number of prescriptions
for more than a 7-day supply. These two data points support
why Express Scripts' Advanced Opioid Management solution is the
leading program among all large PBMs serving 20 million or more
patients.
"While the root causes of opioid abuse and misuse are complex,
we know that engaging patients, prescribers, and pharmacies at
critical touchpoints can mitigate the potential for abuse – and
we're proud of the results of our Advanced Opioid Management
solution," said Snezana Mahon,
Pharm.D, vice president & general manager, clinical and trend
solutions. We applaud Congress and the Administration for
acting decisively to require electronic prescribing of controlled
substances and the development of new electronic prior
authorization standards."
One year ago, Express Scripts launched the PBM industry's first
and most comprehensive Advanced Opioid ManagementSM
solution. Recognizing the breadth of the opioid crisis, Express
Scripts' Advanced Opioid ManagementSM solution works
comprehensively by touching the physician's office, the patient's
home and pharmacy. Working with key stakeholders, we rely on
innovative data analytics, physician engagement and proactive
outreach to shield plan sponsors and members from this devastating
crisis. Importantly, the solution does not apply to cancer patients
or patients who are receiving hospice or palliative care.
Express Scripts has recently expanded its point-of-sale strategy
to closely monitor three commonly abused medications that, when
combined with opioids, increase the risk of dangerous side effects
and overdose. This work complements the SUPPORT for Patients
and Communities Act (HR 6), which was approved with overwhelming
bipartisan support and signed into law this week by President
Trump. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act is a
critical step forward in helping to eliminate the scourge of opioid
abuse, particularly for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
Express Scripts is pleased that the new law requires electronic
prescribing of controlled substances, a provision championed by
Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO),
Dean Heller (R-NV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Representatives
Katherine Clark (D-MA) and
Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and the
development of standards for electronic prior authorizations in
Medicare, a provision championed by Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS), Tom
Carper (D-DE), and Chuck
Grassley (R-IA) and Representatives David Schweikert (R-AZ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM),
Bill Johnson (R-OH), and
Mike Thompson (D-CA). For too
long, paper prescriptions have allowed unscrupulous actors to get
around proven safety tools that help stop opioid abuse.
Express Scripts has long advocated for these important protections
in Medicare as part our larger opioid abuse public policy
agenda.
About Express Scripts
Express Scripts is a healthcare
opportunity company. Empowered by our legacy as an industry
innovator, we dare to imagine – and deliver – a better healthcare
system with improved health outcomes and lower costs. From pharmacy
and medical benefits management, to specialty pharmacy care and
everything in between – we uncover opportunities to make healthcare
work better.
Our home base is St. Louis, but
our reach extends to millions of Americans across the nation. We
stand alongside our clients and partners, collaborating to develop
personalized solutions that make a meaningful difference in the
lives of those we serve. We believe healthcare can do more. We are
Champions For BetterSM.
For more information, visit Lab.Express-Scripts.com or follow
@ExpressScripts on Twitter.
Media Contact:
Phil
Blando
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
pjblando@express-scripts.com
202-383-7982
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SOURCE Express Scripts