Broadspire® Hosts First Pharmacy Summit

ATLANTA, March 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadspire, a Crawford Company and leading third party administrator (TPA) and medical management services provider, will bring together representatives from a number of key industry organizations to discuss challenges in prescription drug management for workers compensation claims during its first pharmacy summit Thursday.

"The intention of the summit is to focus on global industry issues, trends and developments in the future," said Danielle Lisenbey, Broadspire's chief executive officer. "One of our key objectives is to help identify common threads that tie together claimant, payer, employer and carrier interests. We expect to share ideas that we can put into practice to improve outcomes for everyone concerned."

More than 50 brokers, practice leaders, clinicians and others from major insurers, insurance brokerage firms and pharmacy benefit management (PBM) organizations will attend the summit, which will be held at Broadspire's Sunrise, Fla., medical management headquarters. Broadspire medical management personnel and representatives of the attending organizations will be featured speakers.

The summit will include sessions on the following topics:

• Pharmacy program measurement and outcomes
• Mail order prescription services in workers compensation programs
• Opioid prescription monitoring and management
• Physician dispensing of prescription drugs for workers compensation claims
• Jurisdictional updates on topics such as compound medications and for states including Florida, Texas, California and Illinois.

Workers compensation prescription drug use is on the rise and accounts for 19 percent of all medical costs related to work comp claims, according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), which manages the nation's largest database of workers compensation insurance information. In addition to issues with dispensing methods and overall costs, the increasing use of opioid pain medications, with their potential for abuse and addiction, is a particular concern.

About Broadspire

Broadspire (www.choosebroadspire.com), a leading international third party administrator, provides risk management solutions designed to help clients improve their financial results. Broadspire offers casualty claim and medical management services to assist large organizations in achieving their unique goals, increasing employee productivity and reducing the cost of risk through professional expertise, technology and data analytics. As a Crawford Company, Broadspire is based in Atlanta, Ga., with 85 locations throughout the United States. Services are offered by Crawford & Company under the Broadspire brand in Europe (www.Broadspire.eu), including the United Kingdom (www.BroadspireTPA.co.uk).

About Crawford

Based in Atlanta, Ga., Crawford & Company (www.crawfordandcompany.com) (NYSE: CRDA; CRDB) is the world's largest independent provider of claims management solutions to the risk management and insurance industry as well as self-insured entities, with an expansive global network serving clients in more than 70 countries. The Crawford System of Claims Solutions(SM) offers comprehensive, integrated claims services, business process outsourcing and consulting services for major product lines including property and casualty claims management, workers compensation claims and medical management, and legal settlement administration. The Company's shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbols CRDA and CRDB.

SOURCE Crawford & Company