Two of the three largest PBM’s to limit opiates

Express Scripts mail-order pharmacy to limit opioids

www.ktar.com/story/1696130/express-scripts-mail-order-pharmacy-to-limit-opioids/

The nation’s largest pharmacy benefit manager will soon limit the number and strength of opioid drugs prescribed to first-time users.

The move by Express Scripts, which has offices in Tempe, was part of a wide-ranging effort to curb an epidemic affecting millions of Americans.

But the new program has drawn criticism from the American Medical Association. The organization said doctors and patients should decide the course of treatment.

 Federal health officials reported that an estimated 12.5 million Americans misused prescription opioids in 2015, and about 33,000 people died from overdoses.

Express Scripts wants to limit prescriptions to seven days for first-time users and require short-acting opioids.

The Missouri-based company also wants to monitor for potential abuse. The program excludes hospice, palliative care and cancer patients.

A competitor, CVS Caremark, has a similar program.

2 Responses

  1. They will probably exclude chronic, long term pain patients next. Why do they keep getting away with denial of care and practicing medicine without license? When will pain patients get protection? How do they know 12.5 million folks misused prescription opioids? Wonder if they know folks that abuse would rather have the short acting meds? Easier to alter, but hey, what do we, the patients, know?

    • Hopefully people wake up and realize chronic pain causes a lot of negative energy. Maybe I’m strange but someone does not want to allow Doctors to practice the ART of MEDICINE nor allow adult human beings to know themselves or their bodies enough to know when enough pain is enough. We are not children are we?I’m confused as to why someone who pays money or gets free college is allowed to rule over those of us who can’t afford college….just like in the “dark ages” people must find cures and turn into a type of shaman or “witch” doctor (many times their knowledge too powerful since DRS forget or do not care bout the soul/spirit) ) KNOWLEDGE SHOULD BE TOTALLY FREE AND TEACHERS SHOULD BE PAID BY US, THE TAX PAYERS VERY WELL TO TEACH US ALL WE WISH TO KNOW….but then I remember….. most do not want to learn, idk….hopeless until it happens to them

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