Impact of a managed controlled-opioid prescription monitoring program on care coordination.

INTRODUCTION: Inappropriate opioid medication utilization has grown tremendously in recent years. Managed care organizations have the opportunity to identify potential opioid misuse and implement care coordination interventions.
METHODS: This randomized controlled study evaluated the impact of providing actionable information to prescribers of members who received opioid prescriptions from 3 or more prescribers at 3 or more pharmacies in a 3-month identification period. Impact was assessed through change in number of prescribers, dispensing pharmacies, and filled opioid prescriptions over a 1-year period following identification.
RESULTS: Members randomly assigned to the intervention group demonstrated greater reductions in the number of prescribers (23.98%), dispensing pharmacies (16.28%), and filled opioid prescriptions (15.25%) over the 1-year period. Regression analyses identified group assignment and the number of opioid prescribers in the 3-month identification period as statistically significant predictors of reductions in the number of prescribers, pharmacies, and filled prescriptions.
CONCLUSIONS: This intervention provided action-able information to prescribers regarding member opioid utilization, in addition to available managed care resources. It resulted in significantly greater reductions in the number of prescribers, pharmacies, and prescriptions compared with a general information letter notifying prescribers of available managed care resources. Implementation of this intervention has the potential to enhance coordination of care for members potentially at risk for poor health outcomes.