Ohio Seeks Alternatives to Opioid Rx

(Spring 2018) Nationally, Ohio ranks second in overdose-related fatalities. To combat the issue Ohio health organizations revised their approach to hospital pain assessment and management at the beginning of 2018 and are pushing for the use of methods that do not involve medications. The Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team has also issued guidelines for non-opioid pain management twice since January 2016.

The Ohio Chiropractic Association Opioid Action team has been a strong advocate for alternative pain management strategies, too. It has been argued that about three-fourths of patients prescribed opioids are seeking to control neck or lower back pain and that both of these conditions can be managed by chiropractors. However, hospitals and doctors rarely use this as a pain management option.

As the opioid crisis grows, states are opening Medicaid to alternative medicine, including massage, acupuncture and yoga. Ohio’s Department of Medicaid added acupuncture in 2017. Originally only physicians could provide these treatments for migraines and lower-back pain, but Ohio later relaxed the standards to include non-medical practitioners as well. At this time, acupuncture studies have found only a small effect for ongoing lower back pain, arthritis and migraines, and some opponents argue that tax dollars are being spent on unproven methods that may be ineffective.

However, Ohio is one of a dozen states hoping their new measures will prompt Medicaid patients to seek alternatives to reduce pain and the need for opioids. Maine and Vermont are also discussing the option of adding acupuncture to their Medicaid plans for pain management.

It is unclear how much acupuncture would cost states. In Ohio, it could be used on more than 100,000 Medicaid patients with diagnosed pain conditions. Each treatment session costs between $75 and $125, but the frequency of the sessions depends on the clinical circumstances.

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