A study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute found that the Florida state law banning physicians from dispensing stronger opioids reduced the use of opioids prescribed for injured workers.
The law, which went into effect in July 2011, bans the dispensing of opioids in most circumstances, but does not restrict physician prescriptions of these medications, allowing stronger opioids to be obtained only through pharmacies.
Examining the medical care received by injured workers who were injured before and after the law change, the study found that the average Florida physician continued to dispense pain medications after the ban, but there was an increased use of less addictive medications. Physician-dispensed anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen increased from 23.8 percent to 26 percent since the ban went into effect.
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
