WCRI: Use of Topicals Rising in Comp Despite Lack of Federal Approval, Recommendations

Topical analgesics used to treat injured employees have driven up workers’ comp costs in recent years, even though federal health officials have not approved many of the treatments, and some medical guidelines don’t recommend them, according to a new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute. Since 2015, payment shares for topical treatments in most states rose by about 10%, in large part due to an increase in prescriptions for private-label topicals and compound medications. “While topicals may be an important option for treating pain, some topicals commonly d...