Survey Shows Injured Workers Pharmacy Costs Up 6.5 Percent in 2009

Average pharmacy spending per injured worker increased by 6.5 percent in 2009, according to a report on “in-network” transactions released Wednesday, July 14, by a workers’ compensation pharmacy benefits manager.

The increase was driven by a 4.7 percent rise in prescription prices and a 1.7 percent uptick in utilization, according to Tampa, Florida-based PMSI.

PMSI said its findings are based on a review of 5 million customer retail and mail-order transactions conducted from 2007 to 2009. The report excluded data for out-of-network pharmacy transactions.

PMSI’s 2010 Annual Drug Trends Report is available online at www.pmsionline.com/annual-drug-trends-report.  

 Filed by Roberto Ceniceros of Business Insurance, a sister publication of Workforce Management. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com.

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