Coventry Reports 5.8% Drop in Drug Spend in 2016

The overall prescription cost per workers’ comp claim decreased 5.8% in 2016, and the cost per claim for compounded drugs fell by 55%, according to a new drug trend report from Coventry. The drop in prescription cost per claim came despite an increase in average wholesale price of 5.9%, Coventry said. The AWP for brand name drugs was up 13.4%, and the price for generics rose 0.8%. The AWP for short-acting opioids was up 20.7%, Coventry said, driven mainly by a 28.3% price increase for Percocet and a 24% price increases for Nucynta and Subsys. The AWP for brand-name NSAIDs (non-st...