Kimberly George, Sedgwick

1. Sedgwick © 2013 Confidential – Do not disclose or distribute.
Managing the pain of
prescription drug costs:
Defining the scope
http://blog.sedgwick.com/2013/05/14/managing-the-pain-of-prescription-drug-costs-defining-the-scope/

2. Sedgwick © 2013 Confidential – Do not disclose or distribute. 2
Today medication prices are rising faster than any
other medical expenditure
Overview
• Powerful narcotics and opioids are fueling these
expenditures
• These narcotics are becoming more commonly
prescribed in response to work-related
injuries.

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Defining the Scope
Per-claim narcotic costs have increased more than 50% over the
past decade.
Narcotic use now represents more than 1.4 billion of total drug
spend in workers’ compensation claims

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Defining the Scope
Many of these medications were not originally intended
to treat occupational injuries.
Little evidence to support benefits of their long-term or
widespread use in the workers’ compensation arena.
High risk for abuse

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Follow up appointments
Employee education
Pharmacy clinical reviews
Strong network of pharmacies
Prescribing providers
Technology
Strategies and Solutions

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Kimberly George, SVP
Managed Care Practices and
Client Services
Kimberly.George@sedgwickcms.com
http://blog.sedgwick.com/