In a new article for Risk & Insurance, myMatrixx Chief Clinical Officer, Phil Walls, was quoted regarding the growing trend of rising prescription drug costs and how it affects the workers’ compensation industry. Among the topics discussed, Walls notes the area of specialty drugs as being a driver for this trend. Additionally, he talks about the phenomenon of cascading prescriptions — where additional drugs are prescribed to counter side-effects of the other drugs.
Walls is sharing these insights ahead of his speaking engagement at the 2019 National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference® & Expo in Las Vegas this November 6 – 8. There, he will be speaking on the topic of growing prescription drug costs and the steps that the workers’ comp industry can take to control costs and counter this trend. Among solutions such as substituting for generics, Walls also recommends taking an approach that limits unnecessary prescriptions and encourages proper utilization to keep costs down.