WCRI: Use of Dermatologicals Continues to Increase as Opioids Decline

The Workers Compensation Research Institute said a new FlashReport from several states found payments for dermatological agents continue to increase while payments for opioids continue to decline. WCRI said the increase in payments for dermatologicals is driven by the dispensing of higher-priced products from doctors’ offices and mail-order pharmacies. The report, “Interstate Variation and Trends in Workers’ Compensation Drug Payments: 2018Q1 to 2021Q1,” examines state trends in payments for prescription drugs within workers’ compensation for non-COVID-19 c...