According to a recent paper “The Opioid Crisis: Thoughts from the CHRO Suite” by AHPI Senior Fellow, Henry C.
Eickelberg. President Donald Trump recently addressed the rapidly escalating epidemic of drug addiction in the US by declaring the opioid crisis a “public health emergency.” Coping with this troubling epidemic will require solutions from both the public and the private sector.

With the thought of private sector solutions in mind, in summer 2017, AHPI reached out to Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) and benefits professionals at some of the nation’s largest employers to get their feedback on perceptions of the opioid crisis and its effect on their organizations, employees and dependents. This paper distills some of their concerns about the epidemic, and their efforts to address it.

CHROs discuss taking steps to end the stigma associated with opioid dependency so that employees feel more comfortable seeking help. Most large employers utilize pre-employment drug screening in the hiring process to identify potential opioid abuse. Employers are also engaging with the health care provider community to advocate for prescription quantity control.
In addition, health plan administrators and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are working closely together to identify and reach out to those who have been prescribed opioids for more than a given timeframe.