WC Industry Shifting toward Cheaper Generic Drugs, Survey Finds

Generic drugs sometimes cost 90% less than their brand-name equivalents, and the workers’ compensation industry appears to be taking advantage of the savings. In a survey of 25 workers’ compensation payers, the pharmacy benefit management consortium CompPharma found that 81.2% of all prescriptions in 2013 were filled with generic drugs rather than brand-name medications. That’s up from 75.7% the year before. CompPharma President Joe Paduda said the trend helps underscore a movement away from costly brands. The shift toward generics is helping bring down the overall pri...