Med-Tek introduces proprietary Opioid Management Program

Med-Tek a developer of Healthcare Technology Networks ("HTN") designed to improve outcomes for patients, physicians, employers and their constituents today announces the launch of its proprietary Opioid Management Program (OMP).

According to the United States Bone & Joint Decade, from 2002 through 2004 individuals suffering from musculoskeletal disease filled 1.6 billion prescriptions. While 18.6 is the mean number of prescriptions filled per person, 83.5% of sufferers only filled a single prescription. These staggering figures combined with often publicized concerns including lethal overdose, addiction, elongated claim durations and ever-increasing costs, has driven the workers' compensation industry to seek out more effective means to manage opioid dosing practices.

Tom B. Leamon, Ph.D., Med-Tek Board Member and former Vice President, Director of the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety stated "given the amount of research on the magnitude of the issues associated with opioid abuse in the occupational and non-occupational settings, an evidence-based solution directly impacting the root of the problem is far overdue".

When diagnosing and treating Soft Tissue Injuries (STIs) - including dispensing of opioids - practitioners in both the work and non-work arenas have not historically been afforded benefits generated by scientifically validated data. With OMP, in addition to corroborating subjective patient complaints, the existence of acute pathology can be quantified.

"Medical professionals with OMP in their arsenal will have access to empirical data augmenting their clinical expertise. Furthermore, yielding even better results, care management tools employed by carriers, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), Third Party Administrators (TPAs) as well as managed care providers can be applied in the right instances and at the right time" said Kerwin Williams, Med-Tek's Senior Vice President.