Cigna cut members' opioid use by 25 percent through a collaboration with 1.1 million-plus physicians.
The reduction is a goal Cigna set out to achieve in May 2016. The insurer wanted to curb its members' opioid use back to pre-epidemic levels by 2019, but attained that goal a year early.
Cigna launched several initiatives to realize its goal. Some of those actions included notifying physicians about opioid misuse or overuse based on prescriptions and benefit use, and working with 85,000-plus prescribers who treat patients with a pattern of high opioid prescriptions.
"We collaborated with Cigna very early on, looking at the opioid prescription habits of our physicians and trying to get our practice more commensurate with national guidelines," said John Bertini, MD, of Renaissance Physicians in Houston. "Clearly the inappropriate use of opioids is detrimental to the health of the patient, their family and the community on many levels. As we work together to address this problem, we are enhancing the health of the populations of patients that we collectively serve."
More articles on opioids:
65% of ED physicians prescribe more opioids than they think they do
American Dental Association backs 7-day opioid prescription limits: 4 things to know
White House favors single drug for opioid addiction treatment among prisoners: 5 things to know