Reversing a yearlong trend that saw declines in drug use among injured workers, workers’ compensation prescriptions increased in 2022 with drug use per claim increasing 2.6%, costs per claim increasing 3.7% and costs per prescription increasing 1.1% , according to a report released Wednesday by Enlyte Group LLC.
Enlyte, which provides comp services, also found that top usage trends included a 17.7% increase in migraine medications and an 11% increase in topicals, commonly prescribed for pain management and almost always listed as among the most prescribed in comp.
Driving the rise in migraine medications are expensive brand-name prescriptions available to injured workers.
The report also found that opioid use continued to decline, as in previous years. Still, prescriptions for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anticonvulsant medications for nerve pain, and antidepressants—all listed as opioid alternatives—increased by 2.7%, 2.8%, and 3.5%, respectively.
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