Narcotic pain relievers known as opioids have emerged as a major problem for workers compensation payers and claimants. Claimants treated for chronic pain are being prescribed these highly addictive drugs even though the outcome could be longer disability durations, addiction or death instead of improvements in the medical conditions they are intended to treat. ›› More

Studies had already documented the rapid rise of opioid narcotics to treat workplace injuries when the California Workers’ Compensation Institute analyzed workers comp doctors’ prescribing patterns and determined that a few doctors account for most opioid prescriptions, among other troubling findings. ›› More

NCCI Holdings Inc. research finds that prescription drugs account for 19% of workers compensation medical costs nationwide, with opioids becoming an increasingly large part of those costs. The NCCI study also found that the opioid OxyContin climbed from the No. 3 most prescribed drug in workers compensation in 2008 to No. 1 a year later. ›› More

AP

Misuse of opioid pain medications is an ongoing problem in workers compensation, leading to addiction, overdose deaths and unnecessary costs. But new pain medications under development could double the dosage of potentially troublesome ingredients. Experts say they expect to see these drugs used for workers compensation cases and they say there is cause for concern. ›› More

Another problem in the growing prescription abuse problem is the potential for workers comp fraud. The Los Angeles Police Department reported that, like other employers, it too has seen employees with prescription medication addictions, and there may a workers comp fraud connection. ›› More

Workers compensation payers are taking measures to avoid paying for costly yet unnecessary narcotic prescriptions and to protect their injured workers. Efforts to combat the problem include questioning doctors who prescribe opioid pain medications to make sure claimants really need such prescription drugs. ›› More

To reduce accident-related injuries, many employers have traditionally conducted pre-employment and random testing of their workers for use of marijuana, cocaine and other illegal drugs. But with the rapid rise of prescription pain medication abuse more employers are starting to test for opioids. And positive test results for some opioids, such as OxyContin, have increased significantly. ›› More

Chronic pain affects more U.S. residents, including workers comp claimants, than heart disease, cancer and diabetes combined, and one of the most alarming problems employers face is the long-term use of narcotics to treat employee chronic pain. But there are measures employers can take to prevent workers comp injuries from becoming costly chronic pain injuries. ›› More

A webinar from Business Insurance’s 2011 Virtual Workers Comp conference features a roundtable discussion on how opioid overprescribing came about in the United States, the consequences for injured workers and employers, and what employers, insurers, and state regulators can do about it. During the webinar, “Drug Problems: Rx Comp Costs and Overprescribed Pain Meds,” you’ll also hear from a couple of employers about their strategies and the results they’ve seen. ›› More

It’s not just the stereotypical druggie who should concern employers, but also long-term employees who develop health conditions that may be treated with narcotic pain relievers. To help guard against potential problems employers can take several measures, including working to ensure that doctors who treat their employees stick to medical guidelines. ›› More

Business Insurance’s 2011 Directory of Pharmacy Benefit Managers ranks the largest PBMs and provides additional information on their services, including workers compensation lives covered. ›› More

Employers, insurers and third party administrators have grown increasingly concerned about workers getting addicted to opoid pain medications prescribed for workplace injuries. So they are taking a variety of measures to help those employees address their addictions in hopes of preventing overdoses and deaths. Yet prevention of addiction to prescription pain medication appears to be preferred over helping address addiction. ›› More

Washington state has seen promising results from its efforts to curb the prescribing of high doses of opioid pain medications. The state’s guidelines for treating chronic, noncancerous pain could serve as a model for other states looking to curb deaths among workers who are often getting prescribed the narcotics needlessly, say medical experts who praise Washington’s efforts. ›› More