As of March 1, 2019, all Independence members,
including those previously exempt, now require a prior
authorization when continuing low-dose opioid therapy beyond five days, if they
have not already received prior authorization approval from Independence.
Providers received a letter with a list of their Independence patients who are
affected by this change.
As a reminder, as of July 1, 2017, Independence placed a five-day supply
limit on all low-dose opioids. Members who, at that time, already had a
prescription for greater than a five-day supply of low-dose opioids were
temporarily exempted from this limit.
For more details regarding opioid and non-opioid therapy options, please
refer to the CDC’s Checklist for prescribing opioids for chronic pain.
If you have any questions concerning the prior authorization process, please
contact FutureScripts® at 1-888-678-7012.
FutureScripts is an independent company that provides
pharmacy benefits management services.