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Missing Work Is a Pain: The Effect of Cox-2 Inhibitors on Sickness Absence and Disability Pension Receipt

Author

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  • Aline Bütikofer
  • Meghan M. Skira

Abstract

How does medical innovation affect labor supply? We analyze how the availability of Cox-2 inhibitors, pharmaceuticals used for treating pain and inflammation, affected the sickness absence and disability pension receipt of individuals with joint pain. We exploit the market entry of the Cox-2 inhibitor Vioxx and its sudden market withdrawal as exogenous sources of variation in drug use. Using Norwegian administrative data, we find Vioxx’s entry decreased quarterly sickness absence days among individuals with joint pain by 7–12 percent. The withdrawal increased sickness days by 12–16 percent and increased the quarterly probability of receiving disability benefits by 6–15 percent.

Suggested Citation

  • Aline Bütikofer & Meghan M. Skira, 2018. "Missing Work Is a Pain: The Effect of Cox-2 Inhibitors on Sickness Absence and Disability Pension Receipt," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 53(1), pages 71-122.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:53:y:2018:i:1:p:71-122
    Note: DOI: 10.3368/jhr.53.1.0215-6958R1
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrei Barbos & Minglu Sun, 2021. "The effect of awarding disability benefits on opioid consumption," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(11), pages 2794-2807, November.
    2. Lazuka, Volha, 2021. "Heterogeneous Returns to Medical Innovations," Lund Papers in Economic History 225, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    3. Jeon, Sung-Hee & Pohl, R. Vincent, 2019. "Medical innovation, education, and labor market outcomes of cancer patients," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    4. Janet Currie & Jonas Y. Jin & Molly Schnell, 2018. "U.S. Employment and Opioids: Is There a Connection?," NBER Working Papers 24440, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Manuel Hoffmann & Roberto Mosquera & Adrian Chadi, 2019. "Vaccines at Work," TWI Research Paper Series 116, Thurgauer Wirtschaftsinstitut, Universität Konstanz.
    6. Matthew C. Harris & Lawrence M. Kessler & Matthew N. Murray & Beth Glenn, 2020. "Prescription Opioids and Labor Market Pains: The Effect of Schedule II Opioids on Labor Force Participation and Unemployment," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 55(4), pages 1319-1364.
    7. Rahi Abouk & Keshar M. Ghimire & Johanna Catherine Maclean & David Powell, 2023. "Pain Management and Work Capacity: Evidence From Workers’ Compensation and Marijuana Legalization," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(3), pages 737-770, June.
    8. Bütikofer, Aline & Cronin, Christopher J. & Skira, Meghan M., 2020. "Employment effects of healthcare policy: Evidence from the 2007 FDA black box warning on antidepressants," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    9. N. Meltem Daysal & William N. Evans & Mikkel Hasse Pedersen & Mircea Trandafir, 2025. "Do Medical Treatments Work for Work? Evidence from Breast Cancer Patients," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 17(4), pages 379-409, November.
    10. Johanna Catherine Maclean & Lauren Hersch Nicholas & Keshar M. Ghimire, 2017. "The Impact of State Medical Marijuana Laws on Social Security Disability Insurance and Workers' Compensation Benefit Claiming," Working Papers id:12111, eSocialSciences.
    11. Bhashkar Mazumder, 2023. "The Effects of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs on Labor Market Activity and Credit Outcomes," Working Paper Series WP 2023-13, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
    12. Johanna Catherine Maclean & Keshar M. Ghimire & Lauren Hersch Nicholas, 2021. "Marijuana legalization and disability claiming," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 453-469, February.
    13. Alan Piper & David G. Blanchflower & Alex Bryson, 2021. "Does Pain Lead to Job Loss? A Panel Study for Germany," NBER Working Papers 28863, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Volha Lazuka, 2022. "Household and individual economic outcomes of different health shocks: The role of medical innovations," Papers 2206.03306, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2026.
    15. Park, Sujeong & Powell, David, 2021. "Is the rise in illicit opioids affecting labor supply and disability claiming rates?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    16. Johanna Catherine Maclean & Justine Mallatt & Christopher J. Ruhm & Kosali Simon, 2022. "The Opioid Crisis, Health, Healthcare, and Crime: A Review of Quasi-Experimental Economic Studies," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 703(1), pages 15-49, September.

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