By Rosanna Smith
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is partnering with axialHealthcare, a national leader in pain management and pain medication solutions. Together they will collaborate with Alabama physicians to help curb the continuing epidemic of opioid misuse.
Alabama ranked first in the nation in number of opioid scripts per capita in 2015. According to a recent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s Health of America Report, on the opioid epidemic showed over 26 percent of its commercial members in Alabama filled at least one opioid prescription in 2015, and 16 per 1,000 members were diagnosed with opioid use disorder in 2016.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that between 2000 and 2015 more than half a million people across the U.S. died from drug overdoses, and 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose.
“The health and safety of our members is our top priority, and opioid misuse has been pervasive in the state of Alabama,” said Dr. Anne Schmidt, Medical Director for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. “By working in conjunction with our physicians and axialHealthcare, Blue Cross intends to reduce opioid misuse by giving our physicians resources and tools that encourage appropriate prescribing protocols.”
This new pain management quality improvement program aims to support Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama providers by giving a more comprehensive view of a patient’s medical history, providing ongoing consultation with axial’s team of licensed pharmacists, increasing awareness of prescribing behaviors and the latest evidence-based guidelines, and sharing resources and educational tools to support appropriate prescribing protocols.
Via WSFA Montgomery, AL
