Avapro

SYRACUSE - Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has created new calculators at its Web site, www.excellusbcbs.com, that help consumers calculate the savings of splitting pills or switching to generic drugs.

The company's Generic Drugs Value Calculator and Half-Tablet Savings Calculator are free and available to the public.

"People need as much information as possible to help them reduce out-of-pocket expense," explains Joel Owerbach, Excellus' chief pharmacy officer. "These online calculators are our latest tools to enable Central New Yorkers to learn about various cost-saving options and actually see side-by-side price comparisons. The rising prices of brand-name prescription drugs are hurting consumers and driving up health-care costs here and across the country."

To use the Generic Drug Value Calculator, a consumer selects from a pull-down menu of about 150 of the most frequently prescribed brand-name drugs. Based on the consumer's daily dosage, the calculator shows the average cost for a 30-day supply of the brand-name drug compared to a 30-day supply of its generic equivalent.

For example, a 30-day supply of Prozac, a popular brand-name antidepressant, has a retail price of approximately $112, compared with an average cost of under $6 for a 30-day supply of fluoxetine, its generic equivalent. The price listed by the Generic Drug Value Calculator is based on nationally recognized industry sources. This price list is subject to change and is for illustrative purposes only. Those with other health-insurance coverage or no coverage may expect to pay slightly -more for generic medications.

The Half-Tablet Savings Calculator shows consumers the potential cost-savings from taking advantage of a voluntary half-tablet program. Individuals can save on their out-of-pocket drug costs when they split a higher-strength tablet in half to reach a prescribed dose. Because of how manufacturers price drugs, different strength doses of the same medication often cost

the same or nearly the same. Examples of drugs eligible for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield's half-tablet program include Lipitor, Celexa, Avapro, Pravachol, and Bextra. Cutting the tablet in half can be accomplished easily and safely using a simple pill splitter available at most pharmacies.

More than 25,000 members across upstate New York took advantage of the nationally reconized half-tablet drug initiative during 2003 and saved themselves more than $2.5 million in out-of-pocket drug costs, Excellus; says.

These programs also produce savings for the entire community. FLRx, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield's pharmacy-management division, had a generic fill rate exceeding 51 percent for its managed-care commercial population during the first quarter 2004 - placing it among the top 25 percent of health plans nationwide in that category. The average national generic fill rate for that timeframe was 47.7 percent. Every 1-percent increase in the generic fill rate saves the community $5 million in drug costs, Owerbach says.

Copyright Central New York Business Journal Aug 13, 2004
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