COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation says it will no longer pay for a time-release painkiller for newly injured workers and won’t cover the drug’s cost for those currently receiving benefits starting next year.
The agency said Friday it is phasing out coverage for Oxycontin and its generic equivalent, both of which are considered highly addictive and prone to abuse.
Workers’ Compensation Administrator and CEO Stephanie McCloud said the agency encourages injured workers to talk with their physicians about switching to other effective drugs and non-medication options for chronic pain treatment.
The decision won’t affect the bureau’s payments for oxycodone, which immediately releases its painkilling effects.
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