Workers Compensation Issues Prominent In National Summit On RX Drug Abuse

·         Joseph Paduda, principal of Health Strategy Associates and president of CompPharma, LLC, and Dr. Richard Victor, Executive Director of the Workers' Compensation Research Institute, discuss factors leading to opioid abuse in workers' compensation, regional variations of narcotics use and strategies employers are using to help addicted employees regain control of their lives and return to work. The session starts at 1:30 p.m. on Wed., April 11.

·         Showcasing Washington State's guidelines, Dr. Gary M. Franklin, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Washington State Department of Labor & Industries and Dr. Alex Cahana, MD, MAS, DAAPM, FIPP, Endowed Professor with University of Washington Medical Center explore ways to curb the use of narcotics through physician education, treatment guidelines and community-wide integration of care.  This also starts at 1:30 p.m. on April 11 in a different track.

·         Phil Walls, R.Ph., Chief Clinical and Compliance Officer for MyMatrixx, a workers' compensation pharmacy benefit manager, and Drug Recognition Expert/Pharmacy Fraud Investigator Detective Ryan Buzzini discuss how to identify employees at risk of opioid dependency and addiction, starting at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 10.

·         Michael Gavin, Chief Marketing Officer for PRIUM, a utilization review company specializing in reducing narcotics in worker's compensation, and Dennis Jay, Executive Director of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, discuss the financial impact of prescription drug abuse on employers on April 10 at 4 p.m.  

These presentations complement the three-day summit featuring more than 80 national experts, including U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers, U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, and Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health.  Wrapping up the summit on April 12, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi moderates a Forum of the bi-partisan Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse.

The National Rx Drug Abuse Summit is being produced by Operation UNITE, a Kentucky-based non-profit organization founded by Congressman Rogers, who also helped launch the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse. It is attracting a range of stakeholders in the issue, including employers, medical professionals, treatment experts, community advocates, insurance/benefits managers, social workers and counselors, policy makers, educators and law enforcement professionals.  Continuing education credits are available for nurses, doctors, pharmacists, attorneys, social workers, human resource professionals and certified counselors.  For details and registration, please see http://nationalrxdrugabusesummit.org.

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