The opioid epidemic is among the most harrowing public health crises of our lifetime. 75% of employers report that opioid use has impacted their workplace, but few are prepared to respond.
An important step that every organization can take to mitigate the impact of opioid misuse is choosing healthcare benefits partners focused on health outcomes first, with the necessary clinical support to ensure opioid utilizers’ whole-health needs are met.
EmpiRx Health is proud to share our latest Innovation in Pharmacy Benefits Report: The Impact of Whole-Person Healthcare on Opioid Utilization, which demonstrates how appropriate treatment of underlying health conditions can mitigate opioid misuse and reduce overdose risk.
Key findings from the Opioid Utilization Report show:
- An overall 2.8% reduction in opioid users among the EmpiRx Health population.
- A 17.4% reduction in claim costs among EmpiRx Health’s complex care members.
- 23.73% of EmpiRx Health members seek and engage with treatment within a month after a diagnosis of opioid use disorder or dependency, vs. an 18.5% national average.
- EmpiRx Health members are 17% less likely to use high-dosage prescription opioids.
“This report clearly demonstrates that optimizing appropriate treatment of primary and underlying health conditions can mitigate the need for opioid treatment and reduce overdose risk related to chronic utilization,” said Polina Kogan, EmpiRx Health Chief Pharmacy Officer. “We encourage both clinicians and others within the healthcare industry to join us in taking collaborative action to drive positive change for patients, families, and communities. If one PBM can achieve success through innovative, concerted action, imagine the inroads to be made by empowering an entire industry.”
Read the full report here.
“The Impact of Whole-Person Healthcare on Opioid Utilization” is the second in a series of reports outlining the significant impact that public health crises have on the workplace — but also the positive outcomes EmpiRx Health is seeing across our member population. In 2022, we released “Mental Health Is Health,” which showcases how a value-based approach to pharmacy care successfully controlled drug spend in the face of increased utilization of prescription drugs for mental and behavioral health conditions.
