title: Effect of physician-dispensed medication on workers' compensation claim outcomes in the state of Illinois.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate differences between physician-dispensed and non-physician-dispensed medication with regard to lost time, prescription volume, and pharmaceutical, medical, indemnity costs in the Illinois workers' compensation system.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied a sample of 6824 workers' compensation indemnity claims that were opened and closed between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2012, by Accident Fund Holdings in the State of Illinois.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of prescriptions per claim and pharmaceutical, medical, and indemnity costs, as well as time out from work, were significantly higher in claims where a pharmaceutical was dispensed by the physician within 90 days of injury than in claims where physician dispensing did not occur. These differences persisted controlling for age, sex, attorney involvement, and injury complexity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physician dispensing is associated with higher costs and more lost time than pharmacy-dispensed medications in workers' compensation claims.
authors.affiliation: From Corporate Claims (Mr White and Dr Artuso, Mr Bilinski and Mr Rademacher), Accident Fund Holdings, Inc, Lansing, Mich; Division of Environmental and Occupational Medicine (Dr Tao), Department of Medicine; Division of Occupational Medicine (Dr Bernacki), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Xuguang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Ryan D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Artuso
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bilinski
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rademacher
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bernacki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014942:Workers' Compensation; D055815:Young Adult