Lidocaine patch leads CT Medicaid drug spending

According to the latest data visualization from 46brooklyn, CT’s Medicaid program is spending a lot on lidocaine patches. Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that relieves nerve pain. Over the last three available quarters (Q3,4 2017 and Q1 2018), Lidocaine patches have topped CT Medicaid’s list of 25 most costly medications. This medication isn’t on the US top 25 list in any of those time periods. Other medications at the top of CT Medicaid’s list – epipen and methylphenidate, a medication for ADHD – also top the US lists.

In good news, like most other states, CT saved on generic medications between June and July this year. While price changes vary significantly between drugs, with thousands of medication prices up and thousands down, the annualized aggregate savings to CT are estimated at $374,148. The US annualized total savings were $17.9 million.