Medication costs for the injured in Louisiana's workers' compensation system is more than double the average state with twice the amount of pills per claim, according to a new Workers Compensation Research Institute study.

The average workers' compensation prescription payment per claim in Louisiana, at $1,182, is more than three times higher than the lowest-cost state. This is 50-70 percent higher than the states with greater prescription costs.

According to the study there are several reasons for these high figures, including the higher workers' compensation pharmacy fee schedule in Louisiana and the higher average number of pills per workers' compensation claim, which is 85 percent higher than the 17-state median, especially for pain medications and muscle relaxants.

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