(From www.businessinsurance.com) Workers compensation payers disbursed 3.8% less for prescriptions in 2018, including a 15% drop in opioids, due to a decline in utilization and overall cost per prescription, according to a drug trends report released Thursday by MyMatrixx, a subsidiary of Express Scripts Holding Co.

Overall, 65.9% of comp payers spent less on opioids in 2018, with 17.7% of injured workers reportedly prescribed opioids, down from 21% in 2017, according to the report researchers with the Jacksonville, Florida, pharmacy benefits manager created using pharmacy data from its clients. READ MORE >