Workers Comp Opioid Use – Great News, Some Concerning

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Workers Comp Opioid Use Numbers – Two Workers Comp Systems

After seeing so many reports on Workers Comp opioid use,  I decided to write very few articles on the subject.  The subject was overwrought to the point where it became one of those overused recycled buzzwords. 

Two recently released studies on opioid use signal a door closing almost completely – but not quite.  I had thought the opioid crisis in Workers Comp had reached its conclusion.   From the two below studies, one area remains a concern.

MMEs -Morphine Milligram Equivalents – Average Dose – 50 MME/day.

NCCI Study

Raji H. Chadarevian – Executive Director—Actuarial Research – NCCI was the presenter of NCCI’s study.

Raji’s presentation and slides can be found here.  The video and slides are located at the bottom of the article.

workers comp nationwide opioid use
(c) NCCI – Boca Raton, FL – used with permission

From the above charts, one would think the opioid crisis was coming to a conclusion.  However, one area of Workers Comp opioid use still causes a concern.

CWCI Study

I came across this study today on WorKCompCentral.com. The California Workers Comp Institute has always provided great data and studies on many subjects.

The CWCI Study showed – as in the NCCI report – that one area of concern still exists – notice the spike in California’s Workers Comp Opioid use among chronic users. I recommend downloading the study as a great up-to-date reference on CA’s Workers Comp opioid use statistics.

Chronic patients: The average days’ supply per patient for chronic opioid patients in workers’ compensation increased by 9.1 percent (Exhibit 5). Although the underlying prescriptions per patient declined by 1.5 percent, this was offset by a 10.8 percent increase in the days’ supply per prescription (Exhibit 4). Additionally, the sharp increase in the average days’ supply per patient in 2021 (21.7 percent) reflects the spike in prescriptions per patient during that timeframe (Exhibit 4).

CWCI graph on chronic workers comp opioid users
(c) CWCI

At first glance, one can see a huge spike in 2020.  The study report goes more into why this may have occurred in 2020.

Workers Comp Opioid Use – High Use Still a Concern for the Long Term

Even though, the two studies show slightly different conclusions, on which group increased over time versus decreased, chronic long-term workers comp opioid use still remains a problem.

 

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2 Responses

  1. Great article as it relates to work comp. In the general population, it is a critical problem in the construction industry. More education needed; however, many large contractors now attempt to address the problem.

    Thanks, James.

  2. Thanks, Nancy. Chronic long term opioid use has been a problem for over 25 years. Vicodin seems to be the largest concern on the files that J&L reviews for people. The link to the NCCI video did not work for some. It is now fixed. Have a great weekend,

Related...

James J Moore - Workers Comp Expert

Raleigh, NC, United States

About The Author...

James founded a Workers’ Compensation consulting firm, J&L Risk Management Consultants, Inc. in 1996. J&L’s mission is to reduce our clients’ Workers Compensation premiums by using time-tested techniques. J&L’s claims, premium, reserve and Experience Mod reviews have saved employers over $9.8 million in earned premiums over the last three years. J&L has saved numerous companies from bankruptcy proceedings as a result of insurance overpayments.

James has over 27 years of experience in insurance claims, audit, and underwriting, specializing in Workers’ Compensation. He has supervised, and managed the administration of Workers’ Compensation claims, and underwriting in over 45 states. His professional experience includes being the Director of Risk Management for the North Carolina School Boards Association. He created a very successful Workers’ Compensation Injury Rehabilitation Unit for school personnel.

James’s educational background, which centered on computer technology, culminated in earning a Masters of Business Administration (MBA); an Associate in Claims designation (AIC); and an Associate in Risk Management designation (ARM). He is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and a licensed financial advisor. The NC Department of Insurance has certified him as an insurance instructor. He also possesses a Bachelors’ Degree in Actuarial Science.

LexisNexis has twice recognized his blog as one of the Top 25 Blogs on Workers’ Compensation. J&L has been listed in AM Best’s Preferred Providers Directory for Insurance Experts – Workers Compensation for over eight years. He recently won the prestigious Baucom Shine Lifetime Achievement Award for his volunteer contributions to the area of risk management and safety. James was recently named as an instructor for the prestigious Insurance Academy.

James is on the Board of Directors and Treasurer of the North Carolina Mid-State Safety Council. He has published two manuals on Workers’ Compensation and three different claims processing manuals. He has also written and has been quoted in numerous articles on reducing Workers’ Compensation costs for public and private employers. James publishes a weekly newsletter with 7,000 readers.

He currently possess press credentials and am invited to various national Workers Compensation conferences as a reporter.

James’s articles or interviews on Workers’ Compensation have appeared in the following publications or websites:

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  • Bloomberg Business News
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