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Opioid spending down but topical medications up

A report by Coventry Workers Comp compared its 2017 data on managed claims, representing 77.6% of total comp prescriptions, and unmanaged claims. Overall drug utilization in comp was down in 2017 - especially in opioids and compounds medication, an overall industry trend - with 5.9% drops in managed claims and 7.4% in unmanaged claims.

However, topical medications prescribed in the unmanaged category of claims jumped 9.8%, compared with a 6.5% drop in the managed category. This was driven by "high-dollar, private-label topical analgesics marketed directly to physicians' offices... contributing to the significant rise in unmanaged topical utilization per claim - demonstrating the need for continued focus on moving these transactions."



Safety standard for wind turbine workers

The American Society of Safety Professionals has published the first U.S. industry consensus standard written specifically for the construction and demolition of wind turbines.



White paper suggests Medicare Set Asides greatly inflate costs

A new white paper produced by Care Bridge International, suggests that conventional Set Aside practices greatly inflate costs to claims payers, by as much as doubling the cost. The company is a data analytics firm, that uses a massive claims database to estimate the true exposure of future medical treatment and costs in Medicare Set Asides for workers' compensation claims.



Health care workers, PPE and infection control: Study finds failures to follow protocol

Health care workers may be contaminating themselves and their work environments by neglecting to use personal protective equipment and follow preventive protocols, according to a study from researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of Utah. The study was published online June 11 in JAMA Internal Medicine.



CPWR offers skin cancer prevention tips for outdoor workers

Workers who spend all or part of their days outdoors have an increased risk of developing skin cancer, the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) cautions in a recently released hazard alert.



Highly repetitive work in cannabis industry increases risk for musculoskeletal disorders

Employers in the marijuana industry should provide safeguards to protect workers from repetitive stress injuries, NIOSH states in a recently released Health Hazard Evaluation Program report.



European Commission adopts new rules on pilot mental health requiring airlines

Three years after the Germanwings crash in which a pilot deliberately flew a jet into a mountainside, the European Commission has adopted new rules on pilot mental health requiring airlines for the first time to carry out a psychological assessment of pilots before they hire them.



States bolster whistleblower protection

An analysis by watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) found that most states have expanded their whistleblower protection laws over the past 12 years, including 10 states that have done so in their most recent legislative sessions. The PEER analysis includes a report card detailing where all the states rank in different categories.



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