Report Addresses Opioid Overuse in Workers' Comp

About one-third of sidelined workers with new low-back injuries are prescribed opioids during the first six weeks after injury -- usually at the first doctor's visit. Research suggests that receiving two opioid prescriptions during this early time frame is associated with a doubling of the risk of disability at one year, according to a new white paper by Keith Rosenblum, a senior strategist with Lockton Cos. The white paper takes a look at why the underlying reasons for such pain are being largely unaddressed, especially in workers' compensation claims. "There have bee...