As we all know there has been a great push from the Federal Government to crackdown of prescriptions for opioid medication. When prescribed and used appropriately, opioid drugs can provide necessary and safe pain relief to injured workers. However, opioids carry a risk of substance use disorder and accidental overdose. In fact, deaths from prescription painkillers have quadrupled since 1999, killing more than 15,000 people in the U.S. in 2015.  Nearly two million Americans, aged 12 or older, either abused or were dependent on opioids in 2014. Appropriate and responsible opioid prescribing and usage saves lives and improves a person's quality of life.

The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) has instituted new procedures to comprehensively review opioid prescriptions for FECA beneficiaries. OWCP strongly urge claimants and their treating physicians to be mindful of safety concerns relating to opioid medications and to consider alternative drugs that do not pose the same risks for addiction, dependency, and overdose.

OWCP’s policy will be administered in two phases, the first of which addresses FECA claims with newly prescribed opioid use (i.e. claims where an opioid has not been prescribed within the past 180 days, if ever). After an initial 60-day period of opioid medication, if an injured worker still needs opioid medication, the treating physician must complete a Certification/Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) form CA-27, for OWCP DFEC to authorize any additional opioid medication. All subsequent prescriptions will require that an LMN be received and reviewed by claims staff before opioid medication is authorized and dispensed.

The second phase will address legacy opioid claims where an opioid claim has been prescribed within the past 180 days. The details on this phase has not been published to date. This phase will apply to many claimant’s that has been on prescription opioid medication for over 180 days. Stay tune for developing policy directives.