PBM's Report Suggests a Shift in Spend From Drugs to Other Services

A new report from pharmacy benefit manager Optum suggests that a decrease in workers’ comp spending on drugs might spark an increase in spending on ancillary services, an idea that some in the industry are greeting with skepticism. The industry trends report from Optum’s workers’ compensation division found that the average prescription cost per claim fell 8.3% last year for clients who have been with the PBM for more than two years. For claims that include opioids, spending on opioids decreased 7%. When looking at opioid spending averaged over all claims, the decrease...