You're watching...
Vital Springs Technologies CEO Dr. Sreedhar Portarazu on why prescribing painkillers can be very costly over the long term for companies.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
Com coming -- with prescription painkillers is not what you might think an estimated one point four billion dollars is being spent every year in disability payments.
Linked to narcotic painkillers and now some states are looking -- issue guidelines.
And how and when painkillers can be prescribed.
But is this the right way to tackle the problem let's -- Street -- kamikaze CEO vital spring technologies for his take I -- told that I can call you doctor.
Absolutely you can thank you for having me -- our pleasure now ask you in do research this conversation I found that it seems like.
This system favors prescribing.
Drugs and painkillers over therapy and that may be part of what's causing the problem is that true.
It is true -- Melissa because it's easier for the doctors to write a prescription.
Just for the symptom as opposed to actually treating the specific problem and remember that often.
The pain could be just the tip of the iceberg of a bigger underlying problem -- -- work related injury often depression.
And so the use of prescriptions -- overuse -- prescriptions for painkillers.
-- -- a huge part of this it and so that drives economic for employers and to the bottom line of corporations for what they're paying.
So it in the short term they might do this because it might be cheaper you know pills obviously cheaper than hours and hours of physical therapy but in the long term.
Actually ends up being more expensive why.
Because for every dollar that's spent on health care for the worker in the United States about sixty cents actually.
Goes towards disability and workers' comp related costs only forty cents goes to typical medical problems.
And and many companies have not been able to tackle this so.
If they just put a band aid on the problem and just treat the pain and of the underlying problem is an example low back pain.
Is a huge issue with many employers today but they don't treat that I mean they -- -- -- with you know pain medication but they're not looking that.
You know occupational hazards or physical therapy or other modalities that will actually get to the root cause of the problem.
Because the the cost of lack of productivity.
Not having the employees at work.
And has a huge hit to the bottom line.
Still I mean I have to wonder what's the solution because -- you have insurance companies sort of dictating the -- they're looking for the cheapest solution you can't blame them because there -- business may have shareholders -- -- cases.
It -- let the government sort of create guidelines.
Not always makes me nervous.
What does the solution to get everybody the rate treatment.
Well it's got -- start.
At the top of the totem -- Melissa said the people that are bearing the brunt the financial burden to major employers and corporations need to step up.
Com and they need to start.
Being more aggressive with their insurance companies and then down the line with doctors in terms of what they're expecting.
The adherence to certain guidelines they need to make sure that information is shared freely.
In terms of what things really cost.
Once we get to that level of transparency and the buyers starts to take charge.
We're gonna start to bend the cost curve and in -- things will change.
After the law is overturned at the end of this month.
OK doctor.
