Public Meeting Notice  Drug Formulary Commission meeting

In the Henry I. Bowditch Public Health Council Room, on the 2^nd floor.

Testimony

The Drug Formulary Commission invited addiction and pain management experts, patient advocates, and representatives from health plan, medical and pharmacy associations and the pharmaceutical industry to provide testimony to its members at its October 1, 2015, meeting.

The Commission requested for testifiers to provide commentary on the process of developing a draft formulary and how they anticipate that it may impact their respective fields.  In addition, the Commission wanted to hear suggestions on the factors that should be used in the criteria to determine which opiates should be considered an appropriate, therapeutically equivalent substitute to a drug that has been designated as having a heightened level of public health risk.

Chapter 258 of the Acts of 2014 directs the Drug Formulary Commission to consider four factors in determining whether a drug should be identified as a therapeutically equivalent substitute, including:

1. The efficacy of the potential substitute.
2. The effectiveness of the drug’s abuse-deterrent properties.
3. How the placement of the drug as a substitute may impact the patient and/or pharmacy in terms of access.
4. The cost effectiveness of the drug.

This informational hearing was tailored to provide the Commission members with information that most directly relates to the Commission’s mandates and have set up panels based on these four factors.

Only invited participants were allowed to give remarks at this meeting but any interested parties were able to submit written testimony.  The Commission received the following written testimony.

• Michael Ayotte, CVS Healthmark (DOC)
• Todd Brown, Massachusetts Independent Pharmacists Association (DOC)
• Dr. J. David Haddox, Purdue Pharma (DOC)
  1. Changes in Oxycodone and Heroin Exposures in the National Poison Data System after Introduction of Extended-Release Oxycodone with Abuse-Deterrent Characteristics Coplan et. al. 2013 (DOC)
  2. Monitoring of Internet Forums to Evaluate Reactions to the Introduction of Reformulated OxyContin to Deter Abuse McNaughton et. al. 2014 (DOC)
  3. Reductions in Reported Deaths Following the Introduction of Extended-Release Oxycodone (Oxycontin) with an Abuse-Deterrent Formulation Sessler et. al. 2014 (DOC)
  4. The Impact of a Reformulation of Extended-Release Oxycodone Designed to Deter Abuse in a Sample of Prescription Opioid Abusers Havens et. al. Accepted Manuscript (DOC)
  5. Changes in Age-Specific Rates of Doctor-Shopping for Opioids Following Introduction of Reformulated Oxycontin Tablets Chilcoat et. al. Poster (DOC)
  6. Effects of Reformulating OxyContin on Opioid Abuse in 6 National US Abuse Surveillance Systems Coplan & Chilcoat Poster (DOC)
  7. Changes in Diagnosed Addiction Rates in Patients Prescribed OxyContin or Other Opioids after Introduction of Reformulated OxyContin Coplan & Kadakia Poster (DOC)
  8. Decrease in Diagnosed Abuse, Addiction, and Opioid Poisoning among Patients Prescribed Opioids after Introduction of OxyContin with Abuse-Deterrent Characteristics Kadakia & Coplan Poster (DOC)
  9. Reduction in OxyContin Diversion Events Following the Introduction of Reformulated OxyContin Severtson et. al. Poster (DOC)
  10. A Comparison of the Street Price Of Original and Reformulated Oxycontin and Immediate Release (IR) Oxycodone Products Severtson et. al. Poster (DOC)
• Ann Marie Harootunian, Nurse Practitioner and Massachusetts Pain Initiative (DOC)
• Dr. Barbara Herbert, Massachusetts Chapter, American Society of Addiction Medicine (DOC)
• Rachelle S. Mercier, Massachusetts Hospital Association (DOC)
• Dr. Neil Minkoff, Massachusetts Association of Health Plans (DOC)
• Dr. John Renner, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (DOC)