Average pharmacy spend per injured worker is increasing due in large part to increases in prescription drug prices, according to a report from PMSI, a provider of products and services for the workers’ compensation market.

These and other conclusions on workers' comp costs were based on the results of PMSI's 2010 Annual Drug Trends Report, which looks at market trends in an effort to help insurers benchmark their programs and gain better insight into how to manage workers’ comp-related costs.

PMSI said the report identifies the key drivers of pharmacy spend increases in 2009, including the impact of price, utilization, drug mix, and a review of the most commonly seen therapeutic classes in workers’ compensation.

The report also identifies strategies for pain management, recognizing that 75 percent of drug spend in workers’ compensation is related to medications that manage pain.

Significant findings include:

• Average pharmacy spend per injured worker increased by 6.5 percent in 2009
• Growth in total spend was attributed to increases in prescription price of 4.7 percent and net change in utilization of 1.7 percent
• Utilization changes were driven largely by a 2.2 percent increase in the days of supply per prescription from 27.6 days in 2008 to 28.2 days in 2009
• The use of narcotic analgesics for the treatment of new injuries decreased 7.8 percent, indicating that narcotic analgesics are being used less often as first-line　agents to control pain

For the complete 2010 Annual Drug Trends Report, go to www.pmsionline.com.