Xerox tackles opioid abuse in Mo.

NORWALK, Conn. — Xerox announced this week that it would be continuing its partnership with MO HealthNet, Missouri’s Medicaid division, to help combat prescription drug abuse by coordinating patient care between providers, MO HealthNet and pharmacists. 

 

Using Xerox’s prescription clinical authorization tool, pharmacists can investigate whether a patient recently received an opioid prescription and will receive a notice to acquire prior authorization before dispensing it. 

 

“Missouri does not have a statewide, electronic prescription drug monitoring program, so physicians and pharmacists have limited visibility into other medications a patient has received,” Janelle Sheen, pharmacy solutions director and government healthcare solutions at Xerox, said. “We help eliminate that blind spot by providing data and alerts that reduce doctor and pharmacy hopping while improving the coordination of care.”

 

Additionally, Xerox uses Mo HealthNets claims data to send alerts to doctors whose patients seem to be receiving prescriptions from other sources, sending notifications about almost 1,500 patients that might have been abusing opioids. The alerts take the form of letters suggesting doctors re-evaluate the patients treatment. According to Xerox, the number of patients flagged dropped by 73.9% in six months. 

 

“There are legitimate reasons why a person may require opioids to manage their pain, but unfortunately this type of medication is often abused for a variety of reasons from dependency to diversion for profit,” said Steve Calloway, director of pharmacy, MO HealthNet. “The solution Xerox provides helps us ensure our members have access to the prescriptions they need while preventing adverse events associated with opioid abuse, ultimately saving lives and improving health outcomes.”