Cambridge, MA, June 3, 2021 ― The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will host a free 45-minute webinar on Thursday, June 24, 2021, at 2 p.m. ET on its FlashReport, Interstate Variation and Trends in Workers’ Compensation Drug Payments: 2017Q1 to 2020Q1. Two of the study’s authors, Dr. Vennela Thumula and Dongchun Wang, will discuss its key findings and take audience questions.

“This study breaks prescription drugs into groups (dermatological agents, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, compounds, etc.) so you can see where workers’ compensation prescribing dollars are being spent and whether spending for those groups of drugs is going up or down,” said John Ruser, president and CEO of WCRI.

Questions Addressed:

• Which drug groups make up the most prescription drug payments in workers’ compensation?
• Are payments for opioids and compounds still decreasing, and which groups are taking their place?
• How much interstate variation is there in payments for the various drug groups?
• Is physician dispensing driving the costs for any of the drug groups in any states?
• Did overall prescription drug spending change during the study period and during the first quarter of the pandemic?

The 28 states in the study are Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. In each quarter, prescriptions that were dispensed for all medical claims with injuries occurring within three years of the prescription fill date and paid under workers’ compensation were included.

To register for this free webinar, visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3182753425788458252. 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. 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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