NEW PHARMACEUTICAL GUIDELINES FOR NARCOTICS AND OTHER DRUGS ADDED TO ODG TREATMENT IN WORKERS’ COMP

October 11, 2006 –Work Loss Data Institute (WLDI) announces the addition of extensive evidence-based pharmaceutical recommendations to Official Disability Guidelines Treatment in Workers’ Comp (ODG Treatment). The new information, as with all ODG updates, is available immediately to online subscribers. It will also be included in the 2007 print version of ODG Treatment, due out in January 2007.

The addition of pharmaceutical guidelines to ODG comes at a very important time due to the rising use, cost and variety of pharmaceuticals. According to Steve Nichols, Manager of Workers' Compensation Services for the Insurance Council of Texas, “Pharmaceuticals are a key cost driver in the workers’ compensation system, making up more than 10 percent of all costs.”

The pharmaceutical treatment summaries, and in particular, those for chronic pain, give suggested steps for improving pharmaceutical management. These guides emphasize not only the use of narcotics, but also other adjunct medication agents that are currently available. In addition they give guides as to how to recognize the signs of dependency and/or misuse of medications, and how to address these issues when they occur.

The detailed pharmaceutical recommendations are presented in the Procedure Summary of the Pain Chapter, as well as in specific body part chapters, and their related Treatment Protocols. The guides currently address the following: 1) the use of opioids in general, and detailed descriptions of specific opioids; 2) the use of other non-narcotic pain medications, including safety issues; 3) the use of anti-depressants and anti-convulsants for pain; and 4) the use of implantable pain treatment systems. New summaries indicate when weaning of medications may be required, current suggestions for this process and when to obtain professional help of an addiction specialist.

As with all the treatments in the ODG database, this topic will be kept up-to-date with new studies and technologies as they develop.

The complete ODG Treatment database provides evidence-based duration data, treatment protocols, procedure summaries, workers’ comp costs, and benchmarking data to satisfy the information needs of those involved in return-to-work: providers, insurers, employers, case managers, claims managers, and adjusters.

The following is a sampling of pharmaceutical topics now represented in the Procedure Summary of the Pain Chapter ODG Treatment:

Acetaminophen; Actiq®; Anticonvulsants for chronic pain; Antidepressants for chronic pain; Antidepressants for neuropathic pain; Antidepressants for non-neuropathic pain; Anti-inflammatory medications; Barbiturate-containing analgesic agents (BCAs); Benzodiazepines; Botulinum toxin (Botox); Bupropion (Wellbutrin®); Capsaicin, topical; Carbamazepine (Tegretol®); Carisoprodol (Soma®); Celebrex®; Chronic pain programs, opioids; Cod liver oil; CRPS, medications; CRPS, sympathetic and epidural blocks; Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril®); Cymbalta; Detoxification; Diabetic neuropathy; Drug therapy; Duloxetine (Cymbalta®); Effexor; Epidural steroid injections (ESIs); Facet blocks; Gabapentin (Neurontin®); Glucosamine (and Chondroitin Sulfate); Ibuprofen; Implantable drug-delivery systems (IDDSs); Injection with anaesthetics and/or steroids; Intrathecal pumps; Intravenous regional sympathetic blocks (for RSD, nerve blocks); Ketamine; Lamotrigine (Lamictal®); Lumbar sympathetic block; Medications for acute pain (analgesics); Medications for subacute & chronic pain; Metaxalone (Skelaxin®); Morphine pumps; Multidisciplinary pain programs; Muscle relaxants; Naproxen; Narcotics; Neurontin®; Nonprescription medications; NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs); NSAIDs, GI symptoms & cardiovascular risk; Number needed to treat; Oral morphine; Opioids; Opioids for chronic pain; Opioids for neuropathic pain; Opioids, cancer pain vs. nonmalignant pain; Opioids, criteria for use; Opioids, dealing with misuse & addiction; Opioids, long-term assessment; Opioids, long-term use & tolerance; Opioids, pain treatment agreement; Opioids, patients at high-risk for misuse; Opioids, psychological intervention; Opioids, red flags for addiction; Opioids, screening for dependence vs. addiction; Opioids, screening for risk of addiction; Opioids, state medical boards guidelines; Opioids, weaning of medications; Opioid pumps; Oxycontin®; Pain management programs; Phentolamine infusion test; Phenytoin (Dilantin®); Prialt®; Prolotherapy; Pumps, implantable; Salicylate topicals; Sclerotherapy (prolotherapy); SNRIs (serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors); SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors); Stellate ganglion block; Substance abuse (tolerance, dependence, addiction); Sympathetically independent pain (SIP); Sympathetically maintained pain (SMP); Topical analgesics; Topiramate (Topamax®); Tramadol (Ultram®); Treatment for CRPS; Trigger point injections; Venlafaxine (Effexor®); Vicodin®; Vioxx® (rofecoxib); Weaning of medications; & Ziconotide (Prialt®)

Evidence-based, independent and easy to use, the complete ODG Treatment in Workers’ Comp is available for $325 on the Web or in textbook format, with multi-user discounts available.  The Official Disability Guidelines (without the treatment guidelines) is available alone at the cost of $195.  Raw data files for integration with internal software applications or for computer-automated benchmarking are also available.  Contact WLDI regarding licensing fees.

For more information, go to www.worklossdata.com or contact Work Loss Data Institute (WLDI), publisher of the ODG product line. WLDI is an independent database development company focused on workplace health and productivity, based in Encinitas, CA.

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