by Kenneth A. David, Esq.

NCCI published an updated study last week with the following findings:

  • Per-claim narcotic costs have increased
  • There have been changes in which narcotics are most commonly used – the fall of Actiq and the rise of OxyContin
  • Narcotic use is concentrated among a small percentage of claimants
  • The narcotics consumed by the top 1 percent of claimants receiving narcotics accounts for close to 40 percent of all narcotic costs; the narcotics consumed by the top 10 percent of claimants receiving narcotics accounts for about 80 percent of all workers’ compensation narcotic costs
  • Early narcotic use means later narcotic use is more likely

From the Introduction of the study: “Prescription drugs account for about 19% of workers compensation medical costs. In 2009, the narcotic OxyContin® was the most popular drug prescribed in workers compensation and another narcotic, Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, was the third most popular drug.“

Quoted in the Introduction, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine states, “The overuse of opioid therapy to treat chronic pain conditions is becoming epidemic in the United States,” and, “there are many treatments that should be considered before opioids.” According to this organization, “Opioids are becoming more controversial in large part because of … markedly elevated death risks that have paralleled increases in consumption of opioids [narcotics].” The organization recognized that “Routine use of opioids for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain conditions is not recommended” but “Opioids are recommended for select patients with chronic persistent pain, neuropathic pain, or CRPS [complex regional pain syndrome].”

If you would like a copy of the study, please email us.