A pilot pharmacy management program launched by WellCare Health Plans resulted in a 50 percent reduction in opioid dispensation among WellCare members in Kentucky.
The program, launched in December 2016, identified 1,300 health plan members at risk for opioid misuse or addiction based upon a number of factors, including pharmacy use and emergency department utilization. Six months after implementation, WellCare saw opioid dispensation drop by half.
"Tackling the opioid epidemic requires multiple approaches," said Howard Shaps, MD, senior medical director of WellCare of Kentucky. "It includes preventing the misuse and abuse of opioids; intervening when our members are at risk; supporting them with innovative treatments; collaborating with providers and encouraging appropriate prescribing; and connecting members to needed programs and social services to help them address social or economic barriers that go beyond healthcare."
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