Emerging Drug Classes in California Workers Compensation: Psychotherapeutic & Neurological Drugs. (Spotlight Report, Published February 2026).

A CWCI study, based on pharmaceutical data from CWCI’s IRIS database and the Institute’s Prescription Drug Application, tracks changes in the prescription and payment distributions for Psychotherapeutic and Neurological Drugs in California workers’ compensation.  The report finds that although this drug group continues to represent a tiny share of all prescriptions dispensed to injured workers, it has emerged as one of the top ten costliest drug groups in California workers’ compensation due to the use of high-priced, specialty medications, particularly brand name drugs. The report provides an in-depth look at five different Psychotherapeutic & Neurological Drugs that have been used to treat injured workers, changes in the average amounts paid for those drugs, and changes in the mix of Psychotherapeutic & Neurological drug prescriptions and payments over the 10-year study period (service years 2015-2024). Spotlight Report, $18.