Florida Doctors Tops In Dispensing Drugs To Patients

July 20, 2012

Doctors in Florida dispense medications to workers-compensation patients at one of the highest rates in the country, according to a study released Thursday by a Massachusetts-based group.

The study, by the Workers Compensation Research Institute, found that 62 percent of drug payments in Florida were for physician-dispensed medications, second-highest in the country behind Illinois. Also, it found that 45 percent of the drugs in the Florida workers-compensation system were dispensed by physicians, the second-highest rate behind California.

The report looked at injury claims that occurred between Oct. 1, 2009, and Sept. 30, 2010, and prescriptions through March 31, 2011.

Physician dispensing of what are known as “repackaged” drugs has become a controversial issue in Florida, with business groups arguing that the practice drives up workers-compensation insurance costs.

Backers of the practice, however, say patients are more likely to receive and take medications if they get them from physicians instead of filling prescriptions at pharmacies.

The Workers Compensation Research Institute is a non-profit group that says it does not take positions on the issues it studies. Its board of directors is mostly made up of officials from insurance companies and large employers, according to the group’s website

By The News Service of Florida

Comments

3 Responses to “Florida Doctors Tops In Dispensing Drugs To Patients”

  1. Carrie on July 21st, 2012 9:18 am

    These physicians are pill pushers. My Dad is dealing with this right now. The “doctor” would rather him OD than actually perform pain management services for him. The kickbacks the “doctors” are getting from pharmacuetical manufacturers are driving this problem of “over medicating” with highly addictive drugs. You can’t ween someone off opiates after they have been on them for 10 years or more- the withdrawals will KILL them.
    The patients’ quality of life is not the top priority and that is the problem.

  2. Henry Coe on July 20th, 2012 2:45 pm

    California, 2nd Largest state, Florida 3rd. largest. One of the problems with Work Comp is that health care for a life altering injury stinks. They put patients through hell with administrative delays in preventing health care for people that need surgeries.

    Give these work comp patients that same quality health care as any one else, without having to get a lawyer and a ruling by a Judge to get health care and watch the use of opioids drop.

    The other thing is the war on drugs doesn’t need to spill over into health care. Preventing someone with chronic pain from getting relief is a horrible thing to do. Pain medications help people who use them correctly, as prescribed, give disable people the ability to function.

    Florida’s work comp system is horrible. Insurance companies are ripping off small business and destroying people’s lives by delaying or denying health care. They are in the business of profit, not people.

    Most work comp claims are over with in 2 weeks to 2 or 3 months, but people with back injuries really get messed with. Especially when it comes to Self Insured Business Services managing claim.

    Just FYI, IMO, if you have never lived with chronic pain and been through the work comp system, you don’t have enough knowledge to discuss it.

    If people are faking their problems and having pill party, doctor shopping, etc. then they are committing fraud and need to go to jail, but don’t give the Insurance Companies another tool for abusing patients. Health Care needs to be between their patient and their doctor.

  3. 429SCJ on July 20th, 2012 1:37 pm

    They are going to have to wean them off of those opioids.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News