Shifting Focus: Addressing Overlooked Medication Challenges in Workers’ Compensation

The opioid epidemic, which gained attention in the 1990s, has led to a significant focus on monitoring and managing opioid medication use. Even today, we continue to practice vigilance in opioid prescribing practices.

However, this sustained emphasis on opioids may have unintentionally shifted attention from other classes of medications that can also lead to unfavorable circumstances, potentially creating problems on a larger scale.

Here, we draw attention to one such medication — duloxetine, brand name Cymbalta, an SNRI antidepressant that is becoming a more prevalent concern in the workers’ compensation sector.