This industry report examines recent spending and clinical management trends in pharmacy within the workers’ compensation industry. Respondents provided insights based on their 2023 and 2024 drug spend and pharmacy programs.

This is the 20th survey; it was not produced in 2020 due to the pandemic. Pharmacy data from 2019, when available, was combined with 2020 data in the 17th survey.

Download the report summary

H S A’s 4th survey on the topic sought payers’ opinions and perceptions about bill review in workers’ comp, paying special attention to functionality, vendors, pricing, trends, and opportunities for improvement. Download the report summary.

This industry report examines recent spending and clinical management trends
in pharmacy within the workers’ compensation industry. Respondents provided
insights based on their 2021 drug spend and pharmacy programs. Download the survey.

HSA conducted a 2nd survey of workers’ comp pros to learn their perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 and how they were adapting to the pandemic. Download the report summary.

HSA conducted a survey of 15 workers’ compensation payers to learn their concerns about the impact of COVID-19 and how they were adapting to the unprecedented pandemic. Download the report summary.

Prescription Drug Management in Workers’ Compensation (PDF)
The Fifteenth Annual Survey Report
(based on 2017 data)

Over the last eight years, workers’ compensation prescription drug costs have decreased by approximately $1.1 billion. In large part this has been driven by a dramatic decline in opioid usage and cost, particularly for new claimants.

Prescription drugs have long been a critical issue in workers’ compensation. Accounting for one of every seven medical dollars, pharmacy’s impact on patient recovery, disability duration, return to work, and claim settlement outweighs the benefit’s dollar expense …  (Click link above for full report)

2017 Prescription Drug Management in Workers’ Compensation (PDF)
The Fourteenth Annual Survey Report (2016 data)

Over the last seven years, workers’ compensation prescription drug costs have decreased by approximately one billion dollars. Prescription drugs have long been a critical issue in workers’ compensation. Accounting for one of every seven medical dollars, pharmacy’s impact on patient recovery, disability duration, return to work, and claim settlement outweighs the benefit’s dollar expense. Each year pharmacy is the subject of much research on the part of such august organizations as the California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI), National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), and others. The purpose of this survey is to add depth to our understanding of the issue, supplementing statistical and systemic research by adding the perspectives and data of state funds, insurers, third-party administrators, and self-insured employer.

2017 Compounds in Comp: A New Look at Patient Safety, Efficacy and Cost (PDF)

CompPharma published “Compounding is Confounding Workers’ Compensation” in 2014. That research paper, like this one, was written by pharmacists and government affairs professionals employed by several of the member pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies of CompPharma. Many of the pharmacists who worked on both papers have extensive training and experience in the art of pharmaceutical compounding.

The original paper was well received by the workers’ compensation community, and over 2,000 copies have been downloaded from the CompPharma website as well as those of the member companies. In addition, the paper was presented at several industry forums including the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) and the American Insurance Association (AIA).

However, the paper was not well received by a few pharmacists who interpreted it as an attack on both the necessity and the science of state-of-the-art pharmaceutical compounding