If you get injured on the job and are prescribed opioid medications, there is a new policy you need to know about.
More than 15,000 people died from overdoses involving prescription opioids in 2015. As part of the government-wide focus on opioid use, the Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) has to address federal employee claimants for whom it covers opioid medications. OWCP now requires medical justification for the long-term use of opioid medications.
Under the new policy, newly prescribed opioid medications can be filled without OWCP’s authorization for up to 60 days in 30 day increments. Beyond the 60-day period, the treating physician must file a Letter of Medical Necessity (Form CA-27) and submit it to OWCP for approval. This new policy takes effect on August 28, 2017.
Claimants who have been getting opioid prescriptions already are not affected by this policy, but OWCP will be addressing that in the future.
For more information on the new policy and the requirement, click here.