WESTMINSTER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ReedGroup®, a leading provider of health and productivity solutions and publisher of MDGuidelines®, announced that the foundation for the California Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule (MTUS) drug formulary is the evidence-based content of ReedGroup’s American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) formulary. The State of California’s Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has drafted rules and criteria for the application of the formulary and use of the preferred drug list. ReedGroup’s new drug formulary is based on the ACOEM Practice Guidelines.
Additionally, the State of California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation will update its MTUS medical guidelines to align with ReedGroup’s most recent ACOEM Practice guidelines. Both moves are pivotal and both recognize the importance of aligning evidence-based drug recommendations with the patient’s condition and phase of care. The formulary development was driven by three major goals. The first is to provide the best evidence-based care and drug recommendations for California’s injured workers, the second is to expedite appropriate treatment, and the third is to reduce the administrative burden and costs within the case management and healthcare systems.
“We are honored to partner with the State of California in a shared vision to improve the health of California residents,” said David Roberts, CEO of ReedGroup. “We are excited that our formulary and guidelines can contribute to better care and reduced administrative and healthcare costs.”
The Department of Industrial Relations contracted with The RAND Corporation to conduct an independent review and analysis of current workers’ compensation drug formularies, and to make recommendations to the state. RAND cited ReedGroup’s ACOEM Practice Guidelines and formulary for its rigorous methodology, process and transparency. According to RAND, “the evidence-based review process is rigorous” for ReedGroup’s ACOEM formulary and the “drug recommendations are developed as part of the treatment guidelines, using several key criteria.” By choosing ReedGroup’s ACOEM formulary as the basis for the MTUS formulary, California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation recognizes the importance of implementing a drug formulary that ties to evidence-based treatment guidelines.
Roberts continues, “Our drug formulary dramatically changes the workers’ compensation industry. The marketplace now has a better, more responsible choice when evaluating formularies for their respective jurisdictions. The ACOEM Practice Guidelines meet the very highest standards set by the Institute of Medicine for quality guidelines, and our drug formulary recommendations align with what is widely considered the gold standard in effective treatment of work related injuries and illnesses.”
The ACOEM Guidelines are published by ReedGroup and are available electronically through MDGuidelines. For more information, please go to mdguidelines.com.
About ReedGroup
ReedGroup, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides absence and healthcare management services to over half of the Fortune 100 companies. With more than 2000 employees, ReedGroup has operations across the United States, Canada, and India.
ReedGroup’s product, MDGuidelines, is the industry’s leading solution for total health management and workplace productivity. MDGuidelines features the world’s most trusted disability duration tables, predictive modeling, analytic services, and evidence-based Practice Guidelines from ACOEM.
