Compounded drugs account for less than 3% of prescribed medications in workers' compensation but their use is expanding rapidly and prices are skyrocketing, according to a report from , the largest pharmacy benefits manager in the country.
The company reports per-user-per-year costs rose 126% between 2012 and 2013, with the average cost of compounds per prescription around $1,300. Analysts note compounding is growing rapidly in group health and workers' compensation as states have controlled other cost drivers, such as drug repackaging and physician dispensing. "Even though the absolute percentage of users is small, the doubling in the percentage of injured workers obtaining medications that, on average, cost $1,299.13 per prescription, will undoubtedly impact payers financially," says in its Workers' Compensation 2013 Drug Trend report. One argument in favor of compounded analgesic drugs is they have the potential to offer pain relief when a commonly used drug does not work, or when a patient cannot tolerate its side effects. But reports that in at least 25% of cases in 2013, injured workers were prescribed compounded medications before they had even tried commonly used drugs. The difference in price is striking. For instance, the average cost per prescription for compounded versions of diclofenac, a widely used anti-inflammatory drug, was $770 in 2013, versus $46 per prescription for a commercially available alternative. often is compounded in strengths other than those in commercial preparations.
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The company reports per-user-per-year costs rose 126% between 2012 and 2013, with the average cost of compounds per prescription around $1,300. Analysts note compounding is growing rapidly in group health and workers' compensation as states have controlled other cost drivers, such as drug repackaging and physician dispensing. "Even though the absolute percentage of users is small, the doubling in the percentage of injured workers obtaining medications that, on average, cost $1,299.13 per prescription, will undoubtedly impact payers financially," says in its Workers' Compensation 2013 Drug Trend report. One argument in favor of compounded analgesic drugs is they have the potential to offer pain relief when a commonly used drug does not work, or when a patient cannot tolerate its side effects. But reports that in at least 25% of cases in 2013, injured workers were prescribed compounded medications before they had even tried commonly used drugs. The difference in price is striking. For instance, the average cost per prescription for compounded versions of diclofenac, a widely used anti-inflammatory drug, was $770 in 2013, versus $46 per prescription for a commercially available alternative. often is compounded in strengths other than those in commercial preparations.
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