Improving Quality of Life Helps Reduce Costs and Increase Productivity
BLOOMFIELD, Conn., May 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- If you are an
employer and think that narcotic abuse is not your concern... think again!
* Seventy-one percent of all illicit drug users aged eighteen and older
(7.4 million adults) are employed, including 5.4 million full-time
workers and 1.9 million part-time workers. (1)
* Employed drug abusers cost their employers about twice as much in
medical and worker compensation claims as their drug-free coworkers. (2)
* Drug users decrease workplace productivity. An ongoing, nationwide
study conducted by the U.S. Postal Service has compared the job
performance of drug users versus non-users. Among drug users,
absenteeism is 66 percent higher, health benefit utilization is 84
percent greater in dollar terms, disciplinary actions are 90 percent
higher and there is significantly higher employee turnover. (3)
* Prescription drugs account for between 25-30 percent of all drug abuse
in the United States and thirty-one million Americans have used pain
killers without a medical need. (4)
* Between 1995 and 2002, the likelihood of a woman needing emergency
medical care due to opioid analgesic abuse doubled. (5)
Because of these alarming statistics, CIGNA Pharmacy Management (CPM)
today announced a proactive integrated Narcotic Therapy Management Program
that centers on members taking multiple controlled substances (those
medications that affect the mind such as narcotics/opioids) to help foster
the appropriate level of care among members. The goals of the program are
to reduce the over utilization of narcotic analgesics, identify possible
fraud and abuse, and help treating physicians align appropriate clinical
care to better help members adhere to the medication programs prescribed by
their physicians.
"Substance abuse is a terrible societal tragedy that is affecting our
families, our schools, our communities and our workplaces. Through our
pilot programs, we have shown that rather than simply criminalizing
substance abuse, we can work with treating physicians to help stop the
vicious cycle of substance abuse," said Thom Stambaugh, Chief Pharmacy
Officer for CPM.
Through pharmacy claims data, CPM identifies members who may be abusing
painkillers and works to get them into much needed treatment. If a member
is identified as abusing narcotic medications there are a number of options
that may be offered in addition to the pharmacy specific programs... from
referrals to CIGNA Behavioral Health or CIGNA HealthCare case management,
to admission into Methadone or Buprenorphine management programs.
A recent study by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
(CASA) at Columbia University uncovered gaps in health care management that
open the door for manipulation of the system by patients through "doctor
shopping", forgery and deception. The study found that 40 percent of
providers do not ask about prescription drug abuse when taking a patient's
health history, and 33 percent do not regularly call or obtain records from
the patient's previous physician before prescribing a controlled substance.
In announcing the program, Stambaugh cited some examples of the
increased health care costs that are associated with substance abuse. In
one case, in just three months, one thirty-four year old male obtained
forty-three narcotic prescriptions from eight different pharmacies
prescribed by 23 different medical providers. Within a six month period,
this person incurred $54,935 in medical costs with 46 emergency room
visits, seven MRIs and seventeen office visits. "This situation is not
unusual," said Stambaugh. "By simply notifying providers and putting
programs in place to assist physicians, such as limiting the member to only
one pharmacy, and helping to get him or her into appropriate treatment, we
have shown we can identify opportunities to change the dynamic and assist
physicians to better monitor their patients' progress towards beating their
addictions."
Members who are under 17 years of age are excluded from the program, as
are those who have been diagnosed with cancer, HIV, ESRD or are in hospice
care. "While substance abuse is a serious medical condition that requires
active benefit management and assistance, we want to make certain that
members who have a legitimate need for these medications have ready access
to them at all times," concluded Stambaugh.
CIGNA Pharmacy Management (CPM) refers to various operating
subsidiaries of CIGNA Corporation (NYSE: CI). Products and services are
provided by these subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation. These
subsidiaries include Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Tel-Drug,
Inc., Tel-Drug of Pennsylvania, L.L.C., and HMO or service company
subsidiaries of CIGNA Health Corporation.
(1) National Institute on Drug Abuse, Research on Drugs and the Workplace:
NIDA Capsule 24 (Rockville, MD.: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 1990.
(2) National Institute on Drug Abuse.
(3) National Institute on Drug Abuse, Research on Drugs and the Workplace:
NIDA Capsule 24 (Rockville, MD.: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 1990.
(4) Reigier DA, Narrow WE, Rae DS, et al.: the de facto US mental and
addictive disorders services syst; 50:85-94em: Epidemiologic Catchment
Area prospective 1-year prevalence rates of disorders and services.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993
(5) SAMHSA, September, 2004
SOURCE CIGNA Pharmacy Management
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Related links:
http://www.cigna.com/
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/165050.html /
CONTACT:
Lindsay Shearer of CIGNA Pharmacy Management,
+1-603-268-7721, lindsay.shearer@cigna.com
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