BWC to end coverage of OxyContin

The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) recently announced that it will stop covering payments for OxyContin, as well as generic sustained-release oxycodone tablets, to workers who sustain work-related injuries on or after June 1, 2019. This new rule was recommended by the BWC’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, which advises the BWC on actions to address the opioid epidemic and its negative impact on the state’s workforce.

The BWC will replace OxyContin with Xtampza ER, a drug that is considered as effective as OxyContin but less likely to lead to abuse. Injured workers already authorized for OxyContin will have until December 31, 2019, to discontinue their use or switch to a different product on the BWC formulary.