California has one of the highest levels of physician dispensing of repackaged medications in the U.S., a practice that a new study shows may raise treatment costs and lengthen return-to-work time. 

A decade-long study by the California Worker's Compensation Institute (CWCI) shows that between 2002 and 2011, physician-dispensed drugs made up 55 percent of all outpatient prescriptions and nearly 60 percent of total prescription drug payments; and an independent multi-state survey showed that, as of 2011, California still had the highest level of physician dispensing across the 16 reviewed regions. 

In physician dispensing, a qualified doctor gives a patient the initial doses of a prescription drug during an office visit. Physicians say this improves access to prescription services and encourages compliance with prescription schedules, leading to better medical and disability outcomes.