In one of those all-but-unnoticed moves that could have a dramatic effect on workers comp, the FDA has moved to ban a number of currently-dispensed pain medications, medications that are currently prescribed to many work comp claimants.
These aren’t the wildly expensive, oft-abused drugs like Actiq and Fentora, rather the list includes many old stand-bys, drugs that have long been used to manage chronic and acute pain. The list covers drugs “that include high concentrate morphine sulfate oral solutions and immediate release tablets containing morphine sulfate, hydromorphone or oxycodone.” The FDA’s concern appears to be that these drugs were in use before the current approval process became mandatory. The “Agency has serious concerns that drugs marketed without required FDA approval may not meet modern standards for safety, effectiveness, quality, and labeling.”
George Rontiris, PharmD and partner at Titan Pharmacy in New York gave me the heads’ up. George has been a strong advocate for injured workers for years; he’s one of the good guys. Here’s his take:
“There will be some manufacturers still able to make some of these drugs. The majority will be gone. This has already created huge shortages. A bottle of Oxycodone 30 mg that we used to be able to buy for $5.14 per bottle of 100 is now up to $ 39.50.
The so called increase in price due to a lack of supply is just the tip of the problem. Many of the people who have been handling their pain with these cheap generics, now cannot find them anywhere. The alternative that their doctors have come up with is switching them to other forms of medication, and unfortunately the ones that they go for are very expensive.
Our dispensing of Oxycontin (both brand and generic) has exploded. Worse yet is the explosion of Opana and Opana Er that we have been dispensing. I have even had the Endo Lab Opana Reps come into the the pharmacy 3 times telling me that they have been detailing all the MD’s about the “availability” of Opana since there is a National shortage of Roxicodone and other generic narcotics. And of course, the MD’s are eating it up.
Our wholesaler’s bill for the past two months has been up over 15% of what it usually is, and when we went over our ordering, it was clearly because of all the Opana Er, Oxycontin and Avinza that we have been forced to order.
We have been also getting hit with non-control generic problems. For example, Nitoglycerin tablets (put under tongue when a heart attack is happening) were $ 2.08 per 100, and are now $ 13.45. Toprol Xl 50mg generic which used to cost us $ 28.99 is now $84.95 . These are huge difference.”
What does this mean for you?
Mr Rontiris’ experience bodes ill for the work comp industry. The loss of these drugs will certainly drive up costs, may lead to adverse events as patients try other medications to replace their now-banned drugs, and may make it harder for patients to get medications.
Apr
28
