Coventry Drug Trends Series Continues with High Impact Drug Classes

In part four of our workers’ compensation drug trends series we’re taking a closer look at high impact drug classes. Categories such as topicals, compound kits, combo packs, and specialty medications represent proportionately low utilization. However, they can be associated with exponentially significant costs. Recognizing the trends related to such cost drivers can help promote clinically appropriate savings.Some highlights from the series include: • Topical and specialty classes accounted for an increased percentage of total cost • The number of injured workers using topical medications rose 7.5% to 13.4% • 4 of the top 5 specialty disease conditions had double-digit increases in cost per claim from 2018-2019 Each part in the series is accompanied by an ongoing deeper dive into various related topics to address the specific trends highlighted in the infographics. To learn more, stay tuned for upcoming blog posts or visit the Sounding Board at: https://blogs.coventrywcs.com/. Previous reports and missed editions of the series can be found at: www.coventrywcs.com/drugtrends.