Why unintentional misuse of prescription drugs is the 4th leading cause of death in the US

MOORESTOWN, N.J., March 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tabula Rasa HealthCare, Inc. (“TRHC”) (NASDAQ:TRHC), Chairman and CEO Calvin H. Knowlton, PhD, recently conducted an  interviewed with NPR’s Lisa Davis, host of It’s Your Health radio show, which has aired on local stations around the country. The segment provided an informative discussion of the risk of taking multiple drugs simultaneously, as well as the impact of one’s own genomic make-up on medication safety.     

Dr. Knowlton co-founded TRHC in 2009, a healthcare technology company optimizing medication safety by deploying new solutions and novel, proprietary medication decision support tools.

Ms. Davis and Dr. Knowlton discussed the dangers of prescribing opioids to patients who simultaneously are taking other medications that may interfere with how the body processes these drug combinations.  Multi-drug interactions relating to opioids can give rise to serious adverse drug events – even death.  These types of multi-drug interactions typically are not identified using traditional drug-interaction database services. 

Dr. Knowlton described how the Company’s medication safety software identifies concomitant medications that compete with opioids for similar metabolic pathways resulting in an inactivation of the analgesic attribute of opioid medication. Such multi-drug competition leads to higher opioid dosing, increased medical spend, diminished pain relief, and unintended opioid misuse.

As part of the education and intervention process with providers, TRHC risk-stratifies members using MedWise Advisor® to identify those at high risk for multi-drug interactions in combination with opioids.  TRHC’s simultaneous, multi-drug, Medication Risk Mitigation Matrix® identifies these interactions, and is being used to mitigate the dangers of opioids and the risk of adverse drug events.  TRHC then collaborates with physicians to reduce patients’ medication risk.

Ms. Davis asked Dr. Knowlton what made him start the Company and take on such challenges. His answer was the experience his father, and subsequently the family, had when his father was given “a cocktail of 9 to 12 medications” which caused an unintentional overdose of some of the medications.  He concluded that only when we fully understand the risk of a combination of medications, are we able to lower that risk.

To listen to the interview please click on this link: http://itsyourhealthwithlisadavis.com/calvin-h-knowlton-bscpharm-mdiv-phd-ceo-chairman-and-founder-tabularasa/.

About Tabula Rasa HealthCare
TRHC (NASDAQ:TRHC) is a leader in providing patient-specific, data-driven technology and solutions that enable health care organizations to optimize medication regimens to improve patient outcomes, reduce hospitalizations, lower healthcare costs and manage risk. TRHC provides solutions for a range of payers, providers and other healthcare organizations.  For more information, visit www.TabulaRasaHealthCare.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements that we believe to be reasonable as of today’s date including statements regarding risk stratification under the new scope of work.  Such statements are identified by use of the words “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “should,” and similar expressions.  These forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release.  Actual results might differ materially from those explicit or implicit in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: the need to innovate and provide useful products and services; risks related to changing healthcare and other applicable regulations; increasing consolidation in the healthcare industry; managing our growth effectively; our ability to adequately protect our intellectual property; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in our filings with the SEC,  including those factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 14, 2017, and in subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC, copies of which are available free of charge within the Investor Relations section of the TRHC website http://ir.trhc.com or upon request from our Investor Relations Department. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. TRHC assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law, to reflect events or circumstances occurring after today’s date.

Media Contact
Dianne Semingson                                                                             
dsemingson@TRHC.com       
T: 215-870-0829        

Investors
Bob East or Asher Dewhurst
Westwicke Partners
443-213-0500
tabularasa@westwicke.com