Delaware Medicaid Tightening Restrictions on Opioids

In response to reports of increased abuse of prescription painkillers, Delaware's Medicaid program is placing more restrictions on the drugs, according to a Delaware Online report.

Medicaid covers nearly one in four residents in Delaware, and 42,600 Delaware Medicaid patients took narcotics in 2011, submitting claims for 212,558 prescriptions. That makes it the most-prescribed class of drugs in the state, and the prescriptions alone cost the program $11 million.

The current plan pays for 200 quick-acting oxycodone pills per month without extra documentation from a prescribing physician. The new policy goes into effect Mar. 1, and requires state authorization for more than 60 30-milligram tablets of immediate release oxycodone or 240 15-milligram oxycodone pills per year.

Related Articles on Pain Management:
Pain Physicians: What was the most important pain management research in 2011?
Researchers Find Molecular Clue to Understanding Neuropathic Pain
Women Report More Intense Pain Than Men

© Copyright ASC COMMUNICATIONS 2012. Interested in LINKING to or REPRINTING this content? View our policies by clicking here.