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By Nancy Grover

The sessions in the Opioids Solutions track include:

• Gary Franklin, medical director at the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
• Dr.Thomas Jan, a physician at Massapequa Pain Management & Rehab.
• Moderator: Joe Paduda, the principal at Health Strategy Associates and author of the ManagedCareMatters blog.

While workers' comp participants are increasingly aware of the opioid crisis, most do not fully understand the extent of it and are not yet taking it seriously, say these three prestigious panelists. The speakers will offer a template for a comprehensive approach payers can take to address the opioid crisis. Attendees will gain an understanding of the costs of prescription drug addiction, learn guidelines for weaning claimants off opioids, and see the approach and outcomes of the Washington state plan.

The session will be held Nov. 7 from 10:45 a.m. to noon.

Opioids and Workers' Comp: What the Latest Data Show Us. Speakers are:

• Dr. Steven Feinberg, the chief medical officer at American Pain Solutions.
• Alex Swedlow, the EVP of research and development, at CWCI.

CWCI's research revealed that claimants receiving the highest dosage levels of opioids had 200 percent higher medical costs than those receiving lower dosages. The speakers will discuss how the inappropriate and excessive use of the drugs is delaying recoveries and driving costs, strategies to use when working with physicians, and the changing nature of opioids in pain management intervention.

The session takes place Nov. 7 from 2:30-3:45 p.m.

The Role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers in the War on Opioids. Panelists are:

• John F. Aforismo, the CEO/founder ofRJ Health Systems.
• Tim Pokorney, the clinical director at Express Scripts.
• Phil Walls, the clinical director at myMatrixx.
• Moderator: Mark Walls, vice president of claims at Safety National.

As the first line of defense in the opioid battle, pharmacy benefit managers can have a significant impact. By affecting prescribing patterns, PBMs can help control the overprescribing of the drugs. Strategies and their outcomes will be discussed, along with best practices for working with PBMs.

The session will be held Nov. 8 from 8:45-10 a.m.

Claim Cleanup: Review of Texas' Closed Formulary and National Implications. Speakers are:

• Jim Andrews, SVP of pharmacy services for Cypress Care/Healthcare Solutions.
• Mark Pew, SVP of PRIUM.

The closed formulary used to control pharmaceutical utilization and costs in Texas is being closely watched as a possible model for other states. The speakers will examine the Texas initiative, as well as strategies being used by other states.

The session takes place on Nov. 8 from 8:45-10 a.m.

Opioid Treatment Guidelines: Getting Physicians On Board. The speaker is Dr. Kathryn Mueller, the medical director of the Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation and a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Among the complaints voiced by some workers' comp claims professionals is the apparent lack of effective action by medical providers. Mueller will discuss why many physicians are uncomfortable with measures designed to prevent opioid abuse and offer insights to encourage physicians to follow better treatment standards.

The session will be held on Nov. 8 from 1:15-2:30 p.m.

Mitigating Damages of Opioid Abuse: Employer Perspectives. The speakers are:

• Sean McDaniel, the director of claims management for Veolla Environmental Services.
• Ron Thackery, vice president of safety and risk management at Emergency Medical Services Corporation.
• Moderator: Darrell Brown, the managing director at Sedgwick Claims Management Services.

The session will focus on the initiatives developed by several employers to reduce the costs and consequences associated with opioid abuse.

The session will be held on Nov. 8 from 3-4:15 p.m.

The Insurer's View: Developing a Narcotics Management Program. The panelists include:

• Paul Kauffman, director of medical programs at Accident Fund Insurance Company of America.
• Mark Pew, SVP of PRIUM.
• Jeffery White, the director of medical management strategy at Accident Fund Holdings.

A narcotics management program need not be an elaborate scheme, say the speakers. It is a matter of having practical tools, understanding there is no cookie-cutter approach, and taking the first step.

Attendees will see the results of a nationwide study on the scope of long-term opioid use and learn how to implement a unique multifunction solution-based process.

The session will be held on Nov. 9 from 9-10:15 a.m.

Opioids, Return-to-Work and the ADA. The speaker is Richard Pimentel, a senior partner with Milt Wright & Associates.

Balancing the need for safety and productivity in the workplace with the legal rights of injured workers who are prescribed opioids can cause employers to run afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act. The speaker will provide a guide on the amended ADA for legal and illegal opiate use and discuss appropriate transitional employment assignments.

The session takes place on Nov. 9 from 10:45 a.m. to noon.

The 21st annual National Workers' Compensation and Disability ConferenceŽ & Expo takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nov. 7-9. The conference is produced by LRP Publications. For more information, visit the conference website at www.wcconference.com.

Read more at the WorkersComp Forum homepage.

May 31, 2012

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