In 2018, prescription medication resulted in more fatalities than the road toll
In personal injury insurance, there is limited data and information available to insurers when it comes to prescription medication for injured people.
Historically there has been a huge disconnect between insurer, pharmacy and injured people. With limited visibility of the ‘full picture’ – including medication type, prescribing patterns and patient habits –
there is a lot of risk associated with compliance, interactions, misuse, drug dependence and rising insurer costs.
In personal injury insurance, identifying and addressing medication risks has never been a priority – yet is now essential practice to ensure the best outcomes for insurer and injured people.
Real risks, hidden dangers
While there is a significant need for access to pain relief, with it comes an equally significant secondary risk.
Between 2014 and 2018 10,834 Australians lost their lives due to overdose
From 2014 to 2018, there was a 34% increase in deaths induced by Benzodiazepine
In 2017, more than 70% of all unintentional overdose deaths occurred in people aged 30 to 59 years
Better Practice guidelines have been released by the NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA)
In 2018, nearly 30% of unintentional drug-induced deaths came from prescription opioids
The World Health Organisation recognises the risks associated with pain medications
How do we help?
The road to recovery shouldn’t be taken alone. We see it as our collective responsibility to help reduce the rate of addiction, secondary injury and death from prescription medications. We partner with insurers and physicians to ensure the system doesn’t unintentionally let injured people down.