The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has added two new safety measures to the 2025 Medicare Star Ratings: Concurrent Use of Opioids and Benzodiazepines (COB) and Polypharmacy: Use of Anticholinergic Agents (Poly-ACH). Both measures aim to reduce the number of members taking potentially harmful drug combinations.
What Do These Measures Mean for Your Practice?
- Concurrent Use of Opioids and Benzodiazepines (COB):
This measure tracks adults (18+) who have overlapping prescriptions for opioids and benzodiazepines for 30 or more cumulative days. Combining these drugs increases the risk of respiratory depression, falls, emergency visits, and fatal overdose.
- Polypharmacy: Use of Anticholinergic Agents (Poly-ACH):
This measure focuses on adults aged 65+ who are prescribed two or more unique anticholinergic medications for 30 or more cumulative days. These combinations are linked to cognitive decline, increased falls, and other serious side effects in older adults.
How CCA is Supporting Safe Medications Use
CCA is proactively reaching out to members who are prescribed potentially dangerous combinations. Our team provides drug safety counseling and explores safer alternatives, including deprescribing when appropriate. Your partnership is essential to ensure that our members are on the safest, most effective medication regimens.
How You Can Help
- Review your patients’ medication lists for concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines, and for multiple anticholinergic prescriptions, especially in older adults.
- Regularly re-evaluate the need for these medications and consider safer alternatives when possible.
- Engage patients in conversations about medication risks and benefits.
- Collaborate with CCA’s pharmacy team for support and resources.
To learn more, please reach out to CCA Pharmacy Manager Tuli Mitra-Majumdar at [email protected].
For additional information, please see the PQA summary of the final rule that adds these two measures to the Part D STAR ratings.