Spike in use of compounded medications leads workers comp cost increases

The utilization and cost of compounded medications in workers compensation claims spiked last year, while the costs of antidepressants and non-narcotic painkillers also continued to rise, according to a report released Thursday by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts Inc.The use of compounded medications, which include oral and topical medications that are combined or mixed, increased 71.9% from 2012 to 2013, according to Express Scripts' “Workers Compensation Drug Trend Report.” Meanwhile, the average cost per compounded medication prescription was $1,299.13 in 2013, up 29.8% from the previous year.via Spike in use of compounded medications leads workers comp cost increases |