Waltham, MA, June 20, 2024 ― The latest edition of the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) drug trends report finds that while prescription payments per claim continued to decline significantly in the majority of study states, there was substantial variation across states. Dermatological agents and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remained the top prescription cost drivers, with migraine medications growing in many states.

“This study provides an overview of the trends in prescription drug payments in workers’ compensation. By analyzing prescription drug payments by group (dermatological agents, NSAIDs, opioids, compounds, etc.), the study provides insights into which drug groups went up or down in their share of prescription payments in recent years,” said Ramona Tanabe, president and CEO of WCRI.

The report, Interstate Variation and Trends in Workers’ Compensation Drug Payments, 5th Edition—A WCRI FlashReport, provides recent trends in payments for prescription drugs by state and by drug group. For example, the study found that South Carolina had the largest reduction in the payment share of dermatological agents. This decline follows a period of rapid growth, and coincides with a capping of payments for prescription topicals.

The following are other questions the study addresses:

• How do states compare in prescription drug payments, overall and by drug group?
• Is physician dispensing driving prescription drug payments for any drug groups in any states?
• Are there certain drugs contributing to prescription cost increases in your state?

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 non-COVID-19 claims with injuries occurring within three years of the prescription fill date and paid under workers’ compensation were included.

To learn more about this study or to purchase a copy, visit www.wcrinet.org. The authors of this study are Dr. Vennela Thumula, Te-Chun Liu, and Dongchun Wang.

About WCRI

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Waltham, MA. Organized in late 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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