Media Advisory: Oct. 28, 2009

IG Report Validates BWC’s Improvements to Pharmacy Program

COLUMBUS - Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) Administrator Marsha Ryan offered the following statement regarding today’s report by the Ohio Inspector General on past practices related to BWC’s Pharmacy Program. Much of the report focuses on the Program’s operation between 2005 and 2007. In his report, the Inspector General states BWC has “taken action to remedy most of the critical issues outlined in the report”.

Ryan says, “The care and treatment of injured workers is paramount to our mission. When this administration arrived at BWC in mid-2007, we found a pharmacy program in disarray and suffering from severe neglect. Since 2007, substantive and efficient pharmacy reform has occurred. We commissioned a complete study of the program, made improvements where they were desperately needed and added leadership and staff. I am confident the care we have administered to the pharmacy program over the past two years is providing efficient service to Ohio’s injured workers.”

Upon arrival at BWC, Ryan and Chief of Medical Services Bob Coury recognized the state of the agency’s pharmacy program and commissioned a professional, external study of it. An RFP was issued in Dec. 2007, and awarded to Mercer Consulting. Mercer presented BWC with its final report on the program in June 2008. Many of these recommendations have been implemented over the past one-and-a-half to two years.

Recent successes related to BWC’s pharmacy program include:

• Professional staff additions including a pharmacy program director and a new medical director;
• Implementation of a rebate collection program;
• Thorough review of pharmacy formulary; and
• Selection of SXC Health Solutions Corporation as the new pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) effective Nov. 1, 2009.

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