Alabama Doctor Arrested In Connection with Matt Roberts of 3 Doors Down Overdose Death

In mid-August of this year, fans were stunned by the death of 38-year-old Matt Roberts, former guitarist of 3 Doors Down. Alabama physician Dr. Richard Snellgrove was arrested November 16th for allegedly providing the rocker with drugs outside the course of his professional practice. Snellgrove prescribed some five different medications, including methadone, hydrocodone, lorazepam and fentanyl — all prescribed in the names of different individuals, but intended for Roberts.

Slated to perform at a charity event for veterans, the rocker’s father, Darrell Roberts, who often traveled alongside the star, learned of his son’s death the morning following rehearsals. The elder Roberts was informed his son was “either asleep or passed out in the hallway of his hotel” by authorities. Roberts’ father indicated that his son had been fighting a prescription medication addiction to combat his anxiety since joining the band.

A Serious Issue Beyond Over-Prescription
While Roberts’ father noted that he didn’t have any bitterness or anger toward the doctor, he drew attention to the seriousness of the issue in the medical community across the U.S. Prescription drug abuse causes the largest percentage of deaths from drug overdosing, with opioid painkillers the most common culprit. Roberts is among a string of stars over the past decade, including Prince, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Brittany Murphy, Heath Ledger, and Anna Nicole Smith – alongside thousands of other unnamed “average” Americans – sons, fathers, mothers, daughters, brothers, sisters, and friends – all lost to the prescription drug abuse epidemic sweeping the nation, unheeded by age, race, gender, or income level.

Re-Thinking “the Norm”
In chronic pain treatment, particularly where opioids are concerned, there seems to be a disconnect between a drug’s approval for use and its potential for harm, leading to over-prescription and deadly drug interactions. This is why ANS developed its unique pharmacotherapy review program, the only drug utilization review system in the industry with a hands-on, state by state jurisdictional approach. Sometimes to help an injured worker, “it takes a village”, and the ANS face-to-face collaborative process uses locally based legal nurse experts to bring doctors, patients, insurers, and legal representatives all onto the same page. Other drug utilization processes act superficially and fail to follow up, but the ANS process consistently achieves the most impactful patient outcomes while producing the lowest MSA’s and most improved loss ratio’s in the industry. All this while offering a risk free “No Fee Assurance” guarantee for WC payers who wish to try the program.

To truly improve patient treatment outcomes and stop the opioid epidemic try http://ans-solutions.com/ scientifically-based, cost-effective pharmacotherapy review programs. Contact us today.

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The Impact of Workers Compensation Compounding

As custom-made compound prescriptions concoctions continue to rack-up higher workers’ compensation costs, insurers are scrambling to find alternatives and employers are looking for relief from equally inflated premiums. With little to no evidence as to the efficacy of such creations, many states have implemented treatment guidelines directing doctors to more evidentiary-based, easily reimbursable options. Despite guidelines and formularies however, loopholes in coverage continue to allow providers to sell millions of dollars of compounds, with many companies submitting inflated reimbursement bills in their attempts to get paid.

A Growing Issue in Workers Compensation

This June, the U.S. Attorney’s Office brought criminal charges against such providers across the country, accusing them of defrauding the Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare health insurance programs that serve the military and their families. Additionally, the Inspector General of the U.S. Postal Service identified compound drugs as attributable for 34% of the postal service’s prescriptions, and 53% of prescription drug costs in 2015, a rise from 22% and 27% in 2014, respectively. State and federal prosecutors also continue to finger some pharmacies for offering doctor kickbacks in exchange for prescriptions.

Money or medicine?

Industry guidelines point to the use of such compounds as a last resort, accepted in instances where a person is allergic to an ingredient in a drug, or when a liquid version of a commercially available drug is necessary for one who cannot swallow capsules. Some doctors prescribe initially despite these guidelines. The unnecessary prescription of compounds is costing the workers’ comp industry billions annually.

Deep impact

2015 calculations indicate…

• Re-packaged drugs dispensed by physicians cost employers 60% to 300% more than those dispensed at retail pharmacies.
• The average paid per compound drug increased by more than two-thirds from $460.00 to $774.00, though non-compound drugs fell slightly from $113.00 to $108.00.
• The U.S. Postal Service alone spent a whopping $390,000.00 a day for compound drugs in 2015.

Tired of paying more for ineffective treatments?
Proven, more affordable, clinically tested and approved options to compounds do exist. It’s time to find a better way. Discover how to achieve better claims outcomes with ANS Solutions Pharmacotherapy Review. Contact http://www.ans-solutions.com today.

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