July 19, 2022

The Opioid Crisis: a 2022 Update

The opioid crisis shows no signs of slowing in 2022 after being exacerbated by the COVID-19 global pandemic. US Overdose Deaths Hit Record Highs Last Year More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, a record number according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s approximately one overdose death in the United States every five minutes. The 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2020 — compared to just over 70,000 deaths in 2019 — represent the largest year-to-year increase in recent history for the United States and by far the largest absolute number of drug overdose deaths ever reported. Pandemic Worsened Opioid Epidemic Researchers have theorized that the worsening of the opioid epidemic during the pandemic is due to several factors, including More dangerous drug supply (synthetic opioids such as fentanyl) Disruption of treatment and recovery support systems Social isolation Increased levels of social and economic stress Emergency medical services reported increases in overdose-related cardiac events, with rates 50% higher in 2020 than May 2019. States and cities documented increases in overdose deaths as well as nonfatal drug overdose cases. The states of Rhode Island and ...

March 30, 2021

The Mental Health Implication of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic may feel like it's coming to an end, as vaccines become available and mandates begin lifting across the U.S. Unfortunately, the country can still feel the toll the pandemic took on American's mental health, as evident by the increase in anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and overdoses in the past year. From January to September 2020, 1.5 million people accessed an online screening program offered by Mental Health America (MHA). MHA explored the data from these screenings and released their findings in their 2021 State of Mental Health in America report. Here's what they found: Skyrocketing Numbers of People Seek Help for Anxiety and Depression From January to September 2020, the number of people who took their online anxiety screening increased by 93% from 2019. During that same time, MHA saw a 62% increase in depression screens. Severe Depression and Anxiety On the Rise More than 8 in 10 people who took a depression screen in September 2020 scored with moderate to severe depression symptoms. The number of people screening with moderate to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety continued to increase ...

February 10, 2021

Pandemic Leading to Decreased Access to Opioid Abuse Treatment

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the opioid epidemic, making treatment for opioid use disorder more difficult for patients. Pandemic Disrupts Medical System, Reducing Patient Access to Care The pandemic has deeply disrupted the medical system in the U.S., as health care facilities limited and even canceled elective procedures and outpatient visits. Fearful of contracting the virus, patients also avoided seeking care for new and urgent conditions. An investigative report published in JAMA Internal Medicine found decreases in emergency department visits that ranged from 41.5% in Colorado to 63.5% in New York, with the most rapid rates of decrease in visits occurring in early March 2020. Medical Assisted Treatment Challenges During COVID-19 Even before the pandemic began, only a minority of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) received evidence-based treatment with medications, and many people who use drugs struggled to get access to lifesaving harm reduction services like syringe service programs. "People with substance use disorder already face many obstacles to treatment,” reports HealthAffairs.org. “However, public health precautions such as social distancing and self-quarantine—necessary measures, by all accounts, to contain the spread ...

January 26, 2021

Opioid Fatalities Increase Amidst COVID Pandemic

In Erie County, New York, 85 people died from overdoses during the first four months of 2020, a 100% increase from the same period last year. The increase in opioid fatalities is not an isolated incident; overdose deaths have been rising nationwide. The New York Times has referred to the COVID-19 pandemic as a "national relapse trigger," resulting in an acceleration of overdose deaths during the pandemic. Opioid Fatalities Increasing During Pandemic The primary driver of the increases in overdose deaths appears to be synthetic opioids, such as illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Overdose deaths increased 38.4% from the 12 months leading up to June 2019 compared with the 12 months leading up to May 2020. 37 of 38 U.S. jurisdictions reported increases in synthetic opioid-involved overdose deaths. 18 of these jurisdictions reported fatality increases greater than 50%. 10 western states reported over a 98% increase in synthetic opioid-involved deaths. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid often mixed with heroin and/ or cocaine as a combination product -- with or without the user’s knowledge -- to increase its euphoric effects. Overdose deaths involving cocaine also increased by 26.5%, likely linked ...

December 15, 2020

Western Health Advantage Covers Rx Locking Cap for Members

Western Health Advantage (WHA) is offering Gatekeeper Innovation Inc.'s Rx Locking Cap as a covered benefit to its members to prevent misuse or abuse of in-home prescription medications. Learn more about this exciting new benefit for WHA members. WHA Provides No-Cost Safe Dispensing Devices to Battle Opioid Misuse According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Abuse, more than 70 percent of individuals who illegally use prescription pain relievers obtained them through their friends or family, often from the home medicine cabinet. In 2017, an estimated 18 million people (more than 6 percent of those aged 12 and older) had misused controlled substances at least once in the past year. Western Health Advantage (WHA) is a non-profit HMO health plan headquartered in Sacramento, California, serving 9 Northern California counties (Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Yolo, Colusa, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin). "The opioid and other prescription medication abuse epidemic calls for solutions on many fronts, including the use of abuse-resistant packaging," WHA announced in its winter 2020 issue of Provider Insider. "For this reason, WHA is introducing the availability of a prescription locking ...

December 10, 2020

RxGuardian Inc.'s Rx Locking Cap Now Available at Walgreens

Gatekeeper Innovation, Inc.'s new Rx Locking Cap is now available in 7,886 Walgreen locations across the country. Find out why this innovative drug diversion device is a perfect fit for Walgreen’s aggressive battle against the opioid epidemic. How Walgreens is Battling the Opioid Epidemic According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of more than 130 people in the United States died each day in 2017 due to drug overdoses involving opioids (including prescription opioid medication or illicit opioid drugs). Walgreens is one of the largest retail pharmacies in the country, with approximately 9,021 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As of August 2020, approximately 78 percent of the U.S. population lives within five miles of a Walgreens. The retail pharmacy filled 287.6 million prescriptions (including immunizations) in 2020. Walgreens has launched a multi-million dollar effort to help address the U.S. opioid epidemic, with a plan that includes steps to: Save lives, first and foremost Prevent misuse and curb abuse of prescription drugs Reduce future prescription drug abuse In addition ...

September 28, 2020

Virginia Lock & Talk Program Prevents Suicide by Medication and Gun Means

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, claiming the lives of over 48,000 people per year. Two of the leading methods for suicide are firearms and self-poisoning (overdose). The State of Virginia is promoting safe and responsible care of lethal means to promote wellness and prevent suicide through its Lock & Talk Virginia program. Lock & Talk Virginia Suicide Prevention Initiative The Lock & Talk Virginia program is based on suicide prevention strategy and research from the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Its components include: Safe Handling and Secure Storage of Lethal Means Lock & Talk Virginia distributes safety devices and instructions to help its community members secure prescription medications and firearms. By distributing safety devices such as medication lock boxes, medication deactivation kits, gun trigger locks, and gun cable locks, Lock & Talk is encouraging safekeeping of the leading methods of suicide. Nearly two-thirds (60%) of U.S. suicides involve firearms Child and teen firearm suicide rates have increased by 65% in the past 10 years One in five suicides in the U.S. employed overdose as the primary method 80% of overdose ...

August 26, 2020

Regulatory Issues to Be Aware of When Delivering Prescriptions

Prescription drug delivery services have never been in higher demand than now. Couriers have seen a steep increase in residential demand during COVID-19 lockdowns, and there's no indication this demand will slow or stop anytime soon. As more patients rely on online pharmacies, pharmacy delivery services, and third-party courier services to deliver their medications in a safe, discreet, and timely manner, delivery services need to be aware of the regulatory issues involved with medication delivery. What regulatory issues should you be aware of when delivering prescriptions? Valid Prescriptions Only First and foremost, there are Federal regulations regarding prescription delivery that you must abide by, such as: No controlled substance that is a prescription drug may be delivered, distributed, or dispensed by means of the Internet without a valid prescription. According to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 21: "it is unlawful for any person to knowingly or intentionally fill a prescription for a controlled substance that was issued in a manner that constitutes dispensing by means of the Internet unless such person is a pharmacist who is acting in the usual course of his professional ...

July 22, 2020

How Should Medications be Packaged for Delivery?

Providing a prescription delivery service for prescription medications meets the needs of patients and can also help protect the health and safety of both patients and pharmacy employees. COVID-19 concerns and shelter-in-place orders have made delivery services essential. Some sources estimate that prescription delivery service can increase a pharmacy's revenue by 6% to 8%. Some pharmacies employ their own delivery drivers, while others contract with third-party same-day delivery services. Providing a prescription delivery service comes with a few key considerations, including: How should I package medications for delivery? When delivering prescriptions via courier, extensive packaging isn't typically required since the medications go directly from the pharmacy to the patient's home. Maintaining Privacy Protecting patient privacy is important when delivering medications via courier service. Medications should be packaged in a plain, non-transparent bag with just the patient's name and address on the outside of the bag. Securing Schedule II Drugs Certain Schedule II drugs, such as opioids and benzodiazepines, are at higher risk for diversion and abuse than other medications. Securing Schedule II prescriptions with a locking cap or other added security layer can help protect pharmacies and courier services ...

May 21, 2020

HOW HEALTH INSURERS CAN REDUCE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OPIOID ABUSE

The epidemic of opioid misuse and abuse is having a profound economic impact on the healthcare system. In just five years, the claims charged to insurance companies to treat opioid dependence or abuse grew from $72 million to $722 million — an increase of almost 1,000%, according to Optum. The Rising Costs of Opioid Abuse to Health Payers A 2015 study of privately billed services found private payers’ average costs for a patient diagnosed with opioid abuse or dependence were more than 550% higher—almost $16,000 more per patient—than the per-patient average cost based on all patients’ claims. Opioid Abuse Costs Payers Up to $16,000 Per Patient Per Year In 2015, the per-patient charge average (across all diagnoses and all claim types for all patients in the dataset) was $11,404. The per-patient average total charge for a patient identified with an opioid abuse or dependence diagnosis for the same year was $63,356.  With respect to the amounts that are allowed by the insurance companies on a per-patient basis, the difference was 563%: the per-patient average allowed amount for all patients was $3,435 compared to the ...