The opioid crisis is a major issue for cities and states throughout the United States. One of the contributors to the crises is injured workers who receive ongoing pain medications or the incorrect type of medication for their injury. The workers who were over-prescribed would often get addicted.
New York is one of a handful of states to propose the use of a drug formulary specifically to manage workers’ comp prescribed medications. The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board is in the process of obtaining public comment.
The deadline for public input is February 26th, 2018. They will make any necessary revisions and the law will go into effect July 1, 2018.
Formularies play an important part in curbing opioid addiction
Workers who are injured may require pain medication to manage their symptoms. When workers receive inappropriate prescriptions for their condition, the danger of addiction is real. Opioid addiction is damaging to injured workers, their families and society.
Creating a set of guidelines to govern the uses of pain medication in injury cases has seen great results in Texas. The injured workers receive the appropriate level of medication and managing the program this way curbs the prescription drug costs for insurers.
Experts say that the drug formularies work best together with evidence-based treatment guidelines for managing pain.
Texas saw a decrease of 83 percent in the use of nonpreferred drugs by injured workers after instituting the drug formulary process for workers’ comp.
If you or a loved one is injured at work it may be a good idea to consult an attorney who focuses on workers’ compensation claims.
