What is Humana doing?
Humana encourages physicians to refamiliarize themselves with the Beers List and review it when prescribing for seniors. In addition, Humana is taking the following steps: • Humana’s pharmacy claims processor is now sending warning messages to pharmacists regarding certain drugs on the list. • Humana’s mental health provider is sending letters to physicians alerting them to potential drug issues. • Humana’s member safety committee is looking into a “falls prevention” program that would examine the location, cause and effects of falls in seniors in an effort to reduce their occurrence. “All doctors have been trained on the Beers List, and we know the potential side effects of these medications,” Pope said. “Probably, however, most of us haven’t reviewed the list in quite some time. It’s a good time for doctors to look at the list, be reminded what it contains and use sound clinical judgment when prescribing to seniors.
