Doctor-dispensed workers comp drugs rise sharply: NCCI

The volume of prescription drugs dispensed by doctors to injured employees is rising sharply nationwide, driving up workers compensation costs, NCCI Holdings Inc. said Wednesday.

Specifically, Boca Raton, Fla.-based NCCI’s “Workers Compensation Prescription Drug Study, 2010 Update” found a “dramatic increase in the portion of drug dollars associated with drugs dispensed by physicians.”

The percentage of workers comp prescription dollars dispensed by physicians increased to more than 20% in 2008, up from more than 15% the prior year, according to the study that examined injuries that occurred between 1994 and 2008.

Workers comp “drug costs have always included some cost for physician-dispensed drugs,” according to the report by the unit of the National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc. “Recently, we have seen a sharp increase in these costs in almost every state.”

Among other findings, NCCI said its research revealed that older and newer claims alike are experiencing an increase in prescription costs due to physician dispensing.

The study is available at https://www.ncci.com/nccimain/IndustryInformation/ResearchOutlook/Pages/2010PrescriptionDrugStudyUpdate.aspx.