Drug Costs, Utilization Per Claim Down in 2018

Drug costs per claim fell 9.3% last year, according to a new drug trends analysis from Coventry, which found that drug utilization per claim was down 8.8%. Those figures compare to 6.8% decrease in cost per claim and a 6.7% decline in utilization in 2017, Coventry said. The analysis included retail and mail-order prescriptions billed through the company’s First Script pharmacy benefit management program. Opioid use fell in 2018 for the fifth straight year, Coventry said. The cost per claim for opioids was down 21.8% last year, compared to a 14.4% decrease in 2017. Opioid utilization pe...