Prescribing in the workers compensation industry is down across the board, including a 65.1% drop in the costs for compound medications, according to a report released Tuesday by Coventry Workers Comp.
The third in a series covering workers comp drug trends, Downers Grove, Illinois-based Coventry reported on the state of opioids and compound medication prescriptions for injured workers.
According to the report, aggregate trends include:
Coventry attributed the declines to improved management of claims.
“Favorable declines in opioid utilization and cost were aided through patient and provider outreach programs, the use of risk-identification tools incorporating all sources of drug data, and key clinical programs focused on reducing opioid use,” the study states.
Six times more opioids per resident were dispensed in the highest-prescribing counties in 2015 than in the lowest-prescribing counties, suggesting more liberal prescribing practices among health care providers depending on where patients live, according to research released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.