NU Online News Service, July 14, 3:50 p.m. EDT

The workers compensation market experienced a 6.5 percent growth in total pharmacy spending per injured worker in 2009, according to a report by a pharmaceutical products provider.

Tampa, Fla.-based PMSI announced the findings in its "2010 Annual Drug Trends Report."

The report found that a 4.7 percent increase in prescription prices and a 1.7 percent net change in utilization were responsible for the growth in total pharmacy spending.

The main influence driving prescription drug price was a 6.3 percent rise in the Average Wholesale Price (AWP), the report notes, while the utilization change was related primarily to a 2.2 percent increase in the days of supply per prescription.

In 2008, the days of supply per prescription was 27.6 days, compared to 28.2 days in 2009, according to the report.

In addition, the report found that, similar to PMSI Annual Drug Trends reports from previous years, over 75 percent of the total drug spending in workers compensation was associated with medications used for the treatment of acute or chronic pain.

The report also noted that the average age of workers' comp claims decreased 1.2 percent in 2009 to 4.7 years, primarily because of an increase in the volume of new claims over 2008.

PMSI said its findings in the report came from analyzing over 5 million retail and mail order pharmacy transactions from 2007 to 2009.

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Workers&#039; Comp. Pharmacy Spending Increased 6.5% In 2009

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Workers' Comp. Pharmacy Spending Increased 6.5% In 2009