News (Media Awareness Project) - US WV: PEIA's OxyContin Spending On The Rise |
| Title: | US WV: PEIA's OxyContin Spending On The Rise |
| Published On: | 2001-07-05 |
| Source: | Charleston Gazette (WV) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-25 15:08:15 |
PEIA'S OXYCONTIN SPENDING ON THE RISE
The amount the state insurance program is spending on the painkiller
OxyContin has risen dramatically, the Charleston Daily Mail reported Wednesday.
The Public Employees Insurance Agency spent 38 percent more on OxyContin in
the first 11 months of the 2000-01 year than it did in the entire 1999-2000
financial year.
That's an increase from $589,000 to $812,000.
In their lists of drugs they spend the most on, the state Medicaid program
and the Workers' Compensation Division have both ranked the drug in their
top five. However, it doesn't rank in the top 25 of PEIA's list of drugs it
spends the most on.
Despite the rising costs and concerns about abuse, legislators and state
officials say the drug is good when used as it was intended.
"You would hate to deny anybody use of a drug that is certainly beneficial
to their health, and in killing pain, it's certainly one that does," said
Senate Human Resources Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion.
That's part of the reason that when PEIA adopted a list of preferred drugs,
OxyContin was on it. PEIA members pay $15 for a 33-day supply of drugs on
the preferred list and $25 for drugs that are not on the list.
"If a person is cancer-stricken and they're terminal, that drug is very
effective in pain remediation, and in that situation, if it's prescribed
for what it's intended to do, we don't have any problems," said PEIA
director Tom Susman.
"Unfortunately, it's become a drug of high abuse," said Felice Joseph,
pharmacy benefits administrator for the agency.
Susman said the agency recently instituted a program it hopes will clamp
down on abuse of OxyContin and other drugs.
PEIA's prescription drug benefits manager, Merck-Medco, will contact
doctors with patients who are using more than one doctor for controlled
substance claims in any three-month period.
Merck-Medco also will contact doctors with patients who ask for more than
four controlled substances per quarter, or who are receiving more than 120
days of therapy with a controlled substance.
The amount the state insurance program is spending on the painkiller
OxyContin has risen dramatically, the Charleston Daily Mail reported Wednesday.
The Public Employees Insurance Agency spent 38 percent more on OxyContin in
the first 11 months of the 2000-01 year than it did in the entire 1999-2000
financial year.
That's an increase from $589,000 to $812,000.
In their lists of drugs they spend the most on, the state Medicaid program
and the Workers' Compensation Division have both ranked the drug in their
top five. However, it doesn't rank in the top 25 of PEIA's list of drugs it
spends the most on.
Despite the rising costs and concerns about abuse, legislators and state
officials say the drug is good when used as it was intended.
"You would hate to deny anybody use of a drug that is certainly beneficial
to their health, and in killing pain, it's certainly one that does," said
Senate Human Resources Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion.
That's part of the reason that when PEIA adopted a list of preferred drugs,
OxyContin was on it. PEIA members pay $15 for a 33-day supply of drugs on
the preferred list and $25 for drugs that are not on the list.
"If a person is cancer-stricken and they're terminal, that drug is very
effective in pain remediation, and in that situation, if it's prescribed
for what it's intended to do, we don't have any problems," said PEIA
director Tom Susman.
"Unfortunately, it's become a drug of high abuse," said Felice Joseph,
pharmacy benefits administrator for the agency.
Susman said the agency recently instituted a program it hopes will clamp
down on abuse of OxyContin and other drugs.
PEIA's prescription drug benefits manager, Merck-Medco, will contact
doctors with patients who are using more than one doctor for controlled
substance claims in any three-month period.
Merck-Medco also will contact doctors with patients who ask for more than
four controlled substances per quarter, or who are receiving more than 120
days of therapy with a controlled substance.
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