In a new piece for Risk & Insurance, myMatrixx Chief Clinical Officer, Phil Walls, shares four major reasons why people in workers’ comp, and the larger health care industries, need to stay focused on opioid misuse. The COVID-19 pandemic may be the largest area of concern for society, but according to Walls, it’s important to continue to keep downward pressure on the opioid crisis. This is especially true in situations where there are indicators that the pandemic may be causing an uptick in opioid misuse and overdoses.
Other topics in the article include decreased barriers to prescription through telemedicine, the ongoing high cost of opioids due to loopholes in patent protection and growing concern over negative interactions with different drug classes. Walls stresses that workers’ comp payers should continue to take a vigilant approach to opioid prescription and find alternative forms of treatment, including behavioral care, when possible.