Cost Impact of Specialty Drugs Being Increasingly Felt

Even as the workers’ comp industry is gaining better control over the costs of compounded medications and opioids, a new concern is emerging: High-priced specialty drugs that account for a small but growing percentage of prescriptions and a greater share of costs. The specialty drugs include those used to treat hepatitis C, such as Harvoni, whose cost per prescription can exceed $30,000. Anti-viral drugs to treat HIV infection, such as Truvada and Isentress, can cost $800 or $900 per prescription. And Gleevec, used to treat leukemia, costs as much as $10,500 per prescription. All of th...