In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Mark Pew, Senior Vice President of Product Development & Marketing at The Preferred Medical. The Rx Professor and Todd, discuss drug usage and workers’ compensation. Topics range from opioid abuse to how marijuana will affect employers and claims in the future.

Episode Highlights:

• Mark gives a little background on drugs and workers’ compensation. (2:37)
• Mark shares that most people use drugs for pain management. (5:38)
• Does Mark think that people could be abusing or double-dipping opioids on a workers’ compensation claim? (7:14)
• Mark mentions their biopsychosocial treatment model. (12:49)
• Mark explains his tagline. (24:14)
• Mark shares why other states are legalizing marijuana. (37:57)
• Mark mentions that he’s reading Jama articles, regarding the evolving science behind medical cannabis. (58:21)
• Mark mentions that he’s been spending more money on food. (59:01)
• Mark gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (1:00:45)

Key Quotes:

• “It really started with the prescription of an opioid. It started all these cascading side effects that created ‘the need’, so to speak, for more drugs. Then you get to a situation where there’s actually more harm than good that’s coming from the drugs. Then, it’s time really to take a step back and go…What can we do differently? Because, we’re Einsteining ourselves to death, doing the same thing and expecting a different result.” – Mark Pew
• “I think if we limit it to just what’s physically wrong with you, and we forget what’s going on inside your head, and what’s going on at home… we can miss the boat on so many opportunities to help people get better faster.” – Mark Pew
• “Marijuana is not going away. You have to have a strategy that fits your belief system… that fits the pragmatism of your business. You need to strategically think about it. Not respond, not react…But, you need to proactively figure out what you’re going to do with that before you get the first request, or the third request, or whatever.” – Mark Pew

Resources Mentioned:

• Ballot Pedia: 2020 Marijuana Legalization and Marijuana-Related Ballot Measures
• 2020 elections: 5 States Pass Legal Marijuana Measures, Potentially Growing Industry by $9 Billion
• The Preferred Medical
• Mark Pew LinkedIn
• Todd Thams LinkedIn
• Direct Work Comp
• Thams Agency