Navitus Health Solutions Launches Predictive Analytics for the Misuse of Opioids to Help Combat U.S. Opioid Epidemic

MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Navitus Health Solutions, a full pass-through pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), recently launched its latest addition to the suite of Opioid Safety Solutions – Predictive Analytics for the Misuse of Opioids (PAMO) – as part of the company’s ongoing initiative to combat the public health epidemic.

In addition to the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. opioid epidemic has grown into a much more complicated and deadly risk. It is estimated that more than two million Americans abuse opioids,¹ and more than 40 states have reported increases in opioid-related mortality as well as ongoing concerns for those with a mental illness or substance use disorder (SUD).² In 2019, more than 14,000 people died from an overdose involving prescription opioids, a 400% increase in the last ten years.³

“At Navitus, we realize the personal, physical and financial toll that opioid abuse has on individuals, families and our communities,” said Julie Olson, Vice President, Clinical Innovation at Navitus Health Solutions. “This is why we have taken a holistic approach to prevention and developed a suite of opioid safety solutions that include proactive methods such as non-opioid therapies, medication limits and provider education, and coupled them with our best-in-class fraud, waste and abuse program.”

PAMO, the newest component of Navitus’ suite of predictive analytics offerings and Opioid Safety Solutions program, takes a forward-looking approach to opioid abuse. Most opioid analytics tools are retrospective, looking at past prescription history to determine opioid misuse at the patient level. The PAMO analytics tool takes a proactive approach by looking at each plan member holistically and identifying those who may be at increased risk of opioid abuse.

PAMO’s reporting identifies and stratifies members into groups based on risk factors for opioid misuse, enabling preventative measures to be taken, thereby reducing the risk of overdose, unmanaged substance use or other negative outcomes. This allows plan sponsors to use their care coordination and case management resources more effectively.

“We believe PBMs are uniquely positioned and have a responsibility to help improve opioid prevention through innovative programs, like PAMO, that plans can leverage to protect their members from the risk of opioid overutilization,” said Olson. “Armed with information from the PAMO analysis, plan sponsors can use this data to better manage the coordination of care, improving health outcomes and reducing the risk of overdose.”

About Navitus

Navitus Health Solutions, owned by SSM Health and Costco Wholesale Corporation, serves as a full pass-through pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) and industry alternative to traditional models. As such, Navitus is committed to taking the unnecessary costs out of pharmacy benefits to make prescriptions more affordable for hundreds of plan sponsors (i.e., employers, health plans, unions, governments, etc.) and their 7+ million members. By combining a unique pass-through approach that returns 100% of rebates and discounts with a focus on lowest-net-cost medications and comprehensive clinical care programs, Navitus helps reduce costs and improve member health. To learn more about Navitus, call 877.571.7500 or visit www.navitus.com. Follow Navitus on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on all the latest pharmacy benefit news, information and expert analysis.

¹American Society of Anesthesiologists. Opioid Abuse. https://www.asahq.org/madeforthismoment/pain-management/opioid-treatment/opioid-abuse/
²American Medical Association Issue brief: Reports of increases in opioid- and other drug-related overdose and other concerns during COVID pandemic. https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-12/issue-brief-increases-in-opioid-related-overdose.pdf. Published March 3, 2021.
³National Institute on Drug Abuse, https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates . Published January 9, 2021.