The Division of Workers’ Compensation has posted the Agenda and background materials for the February 17th Drug Formulary Public Meeting. The meeting is being held to solicit public input on issues relating to implementation of Assembly Bill 1124, which requires the adoption of a workers’ compensation drug formulary by July 1, 2017.
The meeting is scheduled from 10 a.m. until noon on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 in the auditorium of the Elihu Harris State Office Building, 1515 Clay Street, Oakland, CA 94612.
The Agenda and background materials may be accessed on the DWC Forum. The Agenda includes a presentation by Barbara Wynn, Senior Health Policy Analyst with RAND and a public discussion of formulary issues identified by RAND.
The DWC contracted with RAND to provide assistance in the design and implementation of the formulary and related policies and in estimating the economic impact of the formulary. Key questions that RAND researchers will address include:
1) How should the drug formulary be structured? What are the advantages and disadvantages of existing formularies that might be considered by the California WC program?
2) What implementation policies should be considered to address the AB 1124 requirements and promote the provision of appropriate pharmaceuticals expeditiously while minimizing administrative burden?
3) What are the likely impacts of implementing the formulary on drug utilization patterns and spending? What are the costs and benefits of implementing an evidence-based formulary consistent with the AB 1124 requirements for injured workers, providers,employers, and society?
4) What are the key indicators and measures that should be used to monitor implementation of the formulary?
The DWC will also gather and analyze information on potential formularies that DWC might consider and the ancillary policies that other state WC programs have adopted in implementing drug formularies, including how the formulary is integrated with medical treatment guidelines. It will consider the feasibility of DWC constructing a formulary tailored to its medical treatment utilization guidelines and review the evidence-based formularies from American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), the Official Disability Guidelines (ODG), the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, and the California Department of Health Care Services (MediCal).
The review of the regulatory policies that other WC programs have adopted in implementing a WC formulary will include the states of Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Washington.