At $192, the average cost of a workers comp script in Illinois, is the highest among the 17 states WCRI studies, according to the respected research organizations CompScope report. In 2017, the average payment per prescription increased nearly 20 percent, driven by dermatological agents, the report said. The Center Square reporter Cole Lauterbach interviewed CompPharmas Joe Paduda for context. CompPharmas national survey of workers compensation payers showed a 10 percent decrease in cost, Paduda noted, adding What youre seeing in Illinois is essentially a thirty-point swing from the average state thats clearly driven by the overuse of topicals.