Pricey Opioid Antidote Evzio Called Bad News for Settlements

Naloxone, a life-saving drug that can reverse opioid overdoses, is a workers’ comp “settlement killer” if prescribed in a pricey auto-injector form called Evzio, some claims companies are warning. The current cost of an Evzio kit is about $5,600, according to Mike Merlino, senior vice president of Medicare compliance at Sedgwick. In comparison, generic naloxone costs about $14. Merlino said his staff has seen a recent uptick in the number of claims in which Evzio is prescribed, now accounting for about 5% to 10% of cases where the patient is taking opioids. Evzio kits don&...