Dr. Reema Hammoud

Dr. Hammoud contributed to this article

The opioid epidemic in this country has left prescribers looking for pain treatment alternatives, and one emerging option has been anticonvulsants known as gabapentinoids (e.g. gabapentin and Lyrica®, also known as pregabalin). With a need for option…

On September 27, 2018, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) made a remarkable move. The agency placed a cannabidiol (CBD) containing product, Epidiolex, into Schedule V (classified as having low potential for abuse) so that it could be manufactured in t…

For example, in Kentucky, Tennessee and New York, prescribers are legally required to check PDMP data when initially prescribing opioids. This has resulted in a decrease in the number of opioid prescriptions in each state of 8.5%, 7% and 9.5%, respec…

Sedgwick routinely reminds clients and colleagues about the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) National Prescription Drug Take Back Days. The next Take Back Day will be this Saturday, October 28 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. In 2010, the DEA st…

Fostering awareness in the complex world of prescription drugs It is vital for a claims administrator to have pharmacists on staff because the current reality in workers’ compensation injury care is that prescription drug activity is a dangerous and…

A portrait of opioid use disorder Read part one of Rachel's story here. Rachel was once a vibrant gardener, grandmother and worker. Regrettably, following an injury, she became one of a growing number of those suffering from opioid use disorder (…

Rachel enjoyed gardening and canning vegetables. She enjoyed cooking, taking walks and spending time with her grandchildren. After she was injured at work, she was optimistic about making a speedy recovery. She was 53 years old and had always stayed …

State governments are responding to the opioid epidemic. Recently, the New Jersey governor signed new legislation that limits prescribers’ capacity to provide first-time opioid prescriptions for more than five days. The New Jersey state senate passed…

Antipsychotics are medications used for the treatment of acute and chronic psychosis and other psychotic conditions. Besides their defined indication by the Food and Drug Administration, antipsychotics are often used and misused for off-label condi…

According to a 2014 drug trends report, antipsychotics accounted for 2.3% of the total drug cost for workers’ compensation claims, with a 2.0% increase in the average cost per prescription in 2014 compared to 2013. Not only are these medications exp…

Participate in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. You could save a life. In 2012, healthcare providers prescribed 259 million painkillers according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – enough medication for every Americ…