is pretty good.
Here are the very preliminary takeaways from the latest Survey of Prescription Drug Management in Workers’ Comp...so far 21 phone interviews completed and several more still to go.
[if you’re new to MCM, we’ve done an annual Survey since 2004, past public reports are here (respondents get a much more detailed version)]
- Drug spend continues to decline, although at first blush it looks like the drop is less than we’ve seen in recent years
- Opioid spend is also continuing its downward trend
- Generic efficiency – the percentage of scripts that could be filled with generics that are filled with generics – is just shy of 100%
- Payers are still struggling with legacy opioid patients with respondents identifying patient resistance (mostly fear driven), recalcitrant prescribers, attorneys and the lack of regulatory/legislative support as key obstacles
- Physician dispensing is once again rearing its ugly/profiteering/self-serving/taxpayer-abusing head.
- Payers want