Leading Retail Pharmacies Contributed to Opioid Crisis in US

November 30, 2021 - Two Ohio counties successfully argued that CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies had a part to play in fueling the opioid crisis in Trumbull and Lake Counties.

Retail Pharmacies Culpable in Fueling Nation’s Opioid Crisis

A federal jury recently held CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies accountable for their role in an opioid crisis in two Ohio counties, according to a report from the associated press.

Between 2012 and 2016, about 80 million prescription painkillers were dispensed in Trumbull County alone. And in Lake County, about 61 million pills were distributed during the same period. Both counties blamed the three chain pharmacies for not doing enough to stop the flow of opioid pills that caused hundreds of overdose deaths and cost each of the counties nearly $1 billion.

This trial is the first time that pharmacy companies defended themselves in a drug crisis that killed a half-million Americans over the past two decades. Both Lake and Trumbull counties stated that the pharmacies played a substantial role in creating a public nuisance in the way they dispensed pain medication into their communities. READ MORE

Patient-Provider Communication Alone Fails to Improve Medication Adherence

Cost, health insurance coverage, and the hunt for financial assistance programs prove the biggest hurdles to medication adherence, but new data shows that these barriers aren’t always part of patient-provider communication.

The Health Union survey of about 2,000 patients with chronic illness confirmed what many in the healthcare industry know to be true: the high price tag for drugs is keeping patients from achieving optimal medication adherence.

This survey confirms the conventional wisdom that patients don’t skip doses because they are obstinate, but rather because they cannot afford their medications or face other cost-related barriers. Twenty-seven percent of surveyed patients said their biggest barrier to medication adherence was the cost of their drugs. Another 22 percent cited health insurance coverage as a challenge, while 20 percent said they had difficulty navigating financial assistance or copay programs. READ MORE

Zero-Dollar Health Plans Bring Medicare Advantage Premiums Lower

Zero-dollar health plans are bringing average Medicare Advantage premiums lower, continuing an ongoing trend, an eHealth report found.

eHealth surveyed over 4,200 Medicare beneficiaries who were eHealth consumers between October 12 and October 25, 2021. The researchers found that the average Medicare Advantage premium was $4 per month for plan selections made in the first half of the 2022 open enrollment period, lower than both 2021, 2020, and 2019 open enrollment periods for the same timeframe.

The average premium has been substantially diminished due to the prevalence of zero-dollar premium Medicare Advantage plans. In the first half of the 2019 open enrollment period, zero-dollar premium health plans accounted for 76 percent of health plan selections. However, in the first half of the 2022 open enrollment season 86 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have selected zero-dollar premium plan. READ MORE

Technology Access, Digital Literacy Hinder Virtual Care for Opioid Use

Using telehealth for opioid use disorder treatment may increase access to care for individuals but it may be limited to patients with high digital literacy and those who are deemed stable by their clinicians, according to a study from University of Pennsylvania researchers.

Researchers interviewed 22 opioid use disorder treatment prescribers from low-barrier, outpatient treatment programs in Philadelphia during July and August 2020.

According to providers, telehealth led to easier access to care for some patients, but it also created a digital divide between those who are comfortable with and have access to technology and those with limited digital literacy. The providers also noted that while some patients may want to use telehealth, the final decision may depend upon clinician perception of stability. Despite the increased access to care, using telehealth for opioid use disorder treatment highlighted the digital divide among Philadelphia patients. READ MORE

Data Points to Dramatic Drop in Cancer Screenings in 2020

In 2020, many patients delayed care due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the vaccine rollout and cases declining from last year, data analytics indicates that significant decreases in CT imaging for cancer are persisting.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Haver Medical School analyzed cancer-related CT exams during three periods of 2020: the pre-COVID phase (January to mid-March), peak COVID (mid-March to May), and post-COVID peak (May to mid-November). The team studied the CT volume and the type of care being delivered through imaging.

Researchers saw the CT volume drop significantly during the COVID peak, falling 82 percent. Additionally, the volumes for cancer screening and initial workup failed to recover during the post-COVID peak period, remaining down 11.7 percent and 20 percent from their pre-COVID numbers.

According to researchers, the continued decline of CTs for cancer screening and initial workup is heavily impacting chronic disease prevention. In addition, it will likely result in high numbers of patients with advanced cancers in the future. READ MORE

Labor Inflation, Supply Chain Disruption Cut Into Healthcare Profits

According to a Fitch Ratings report, supply chain challenges and rises in labor are leading to higher costs and potential revenue loss, threatening profit margins for healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.

Healthcare providers across the board are challenged by a nationwide healthcare labor shortage, resulting in raises of labor wages and increased use of costly temporary help. Healthcare facilities such as senior housing, skilled nursing, and some inpatient behavioral health operators reported that they could not meet demands due to scarcity of workers, causing lower new admission rates.

The report states a temporary drop in profitability is unlikely to be a downgrade trigger as healthcare's consistent demand will always defend profitability. Healthcare providers can bring back some of the lost profit margins due to rate increases, but those efforts will likely lag, given the cadence of contract renewals. READ MORE