Cambridge, MA, Sept. 30, 2021 — The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will hold a free 45-minute webinar on Thursday, October 21, 2021, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss findings from a recent WCRI study Effects of Opioid-Related Policies on Opioid Utilization, Nature of Medical Care, and Duration of Disability.

“The policies examined in this study were part of an extensive effort by stakeholders at local, state, and national levels to address potential excessive opioid prescribing and opioid abuse,” said John Ruser, president and CEO of WCRI.

WCRI author Bogdan Savych will discuss findings from the study, which examined the effects of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and other recent regulations on workers with work-related injuries. The following are among the questions the webinar will address:

• To what extent did must-access PDMPs and regulations limiting the duration of initial opioid prescriptions reduce the amount of opioids prescribed to workers with injuries?
• How did opioid-related policies affect medical care that may be a substitute for opioids?
• What impact did must-access PDMPs and limits on initial prescriptions have on the duration of temporary disability benefits?

The analysis includes information for workers injured between October 1, 2009, and March 31, 2018, in 33 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. These states represent 85 percent of benefits paid in 2017.

To register for this free webinar, visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/4592037064646241794. All attendees receive a free copy of the slides and a recording of the webinar.

ABOUT WCRI:

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Cambridge, MA. Organized in 1983, the Institute does not take positions on the issues it researches; rather, it provides information obtained through studies and data collection efforts, which conform to recognized scientific methods. Objectivity is further ensured through rigorous, unbiased peer review procedures. WCRI's diverse membership includes employers; insurers; governmental entities; managed care companies; health care providers; insurance regulators; state labor organizations; and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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