PCMA Highlights PBM Solutions to Address the Opioid Crisis

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaking today at a forum of national experts — "America's Opioid Epidemic: Strategies for Prevention" — Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) President and CEO Mark Merritt emphasized workable, near-term solutions to help combat the rising opioid epidemic, including requiring electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) for controlled substances.

Other speakers at the event included Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

"When providers e-prescribe controlled substances directly to pharmacies, it eliminates the risk of paper scripts being trafficked to multiple drugstores without the knowledge of prescribers or pharmacists," said Merritt.

In July, PCMA outlined this and other solutions in a public letter to FDA Commissioner Gottlieb and reiterated them at today's forum:

• Require E-prescribing (e-Rx) for Controlled Substances
• Seven-Day Opioid Prescription Limits for Acute Pain
• Endorse the CDC's Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
• Improve and Integrate State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) and Require Prescribers to Check Them
• Give Medicare Part D Plans More Tools to Fight Pharmacy Opioid Fraud
• Achieve Timely and Flexible Implementation of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) 

PCMA also recently released a new ad outlining "common sense solutions to the opioid crisis."

PCMA is the national association representing America's pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). PBMs administer prescription drug plans for more than 266 million Americans who have health insurance from a variety of sponsors including: commercial health plans, self-insured employer plans, union plans, Medicare Part D plans, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), state government employee plans, Medicaid plans, and others.

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Care Management Association

Related Links

https://www.pcmanet.org/