BWC Reports Opioids, Prescriptions and Pharmacy Costs Continue Decline

The number of injured workers receiving prescription drugs, including opioids, continued to fall in 2020, as did overall costs in the pharmacy program for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. According to a report presented to the bureau’s board of directors last week, the number of injured workers receiving a prescription in 2020 dropped 16% compared to the 23,469 who received a prescription in 2019. The number of workers receiving opioids dropped 18% to 12,507, continuing a downward trend in recent years. “All of our numbers in this report are headed in the right direc...