Risk managers and safety experts are concerned a rule proposed by the U.S.

High-profile cases involving deaths due to compounded medications have prompted calls for consistent regulation of such medications, workers compensation experts say.

The use and price of compounded medications in workers compensation has climbed sharply, prompting concerns about controlling prescription costs for comp claims and managing safety for injured workers.

After declining for years, the number of fatalities in the U.S. construction industry increased in 2012, with a fatality rate of 9.9 per 100,000 workers compared with 9.1 in 2011, according to a May report by the AFL-CIO.

Telemedicine is gaining ground in treating injured workers, especially in rural areas, to speed their evaluation and possibly reduce the costs paid by employers.

In Jose Dubon v. World Restoration Inc.

Employers renewing their workers compensation coverage at midyear have seen smaller price increases than a year ago, but insurers are being selective about the accounts they underwrite.

Employers, safety professionals and insurers are working to promote workplace safety as the fast-growing energy industry tries to stem fatalities among employees who work long hours while operating heavy machinery and vehicles.

California’s workers compensation reforms have produced an unexpected surge in independent medical reviews, but experts and employers say more time is needed to see whether the changes reduce costs and claims management delays.