TRICARE beneficiaries have several pharmacy options
Posted 12/30/2011
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by Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
12/30/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Despite questions about whether the Walgreens pharmacy chain will continue as a TRICARE provider, beneficiaries will have several options for filling prescriptions, Defense Department spokeswoman Eileen M. Lainez said today.
The retail pharmacy contract between Express Scripts Inc., or ESI, and the Walgreens pharmacy chain is set to expire on Dec. 31, Lainez added.
If the contract is not renewed, Walgreens will no longer be a pharmacy network provider, she said, but beneficiaries will be able to find a nearby network pharmacy using the "find a pharmacy" feature at the ESI website, http://www.express-scripts.com/tricare.
"We are committed to ensuring all our pharmacy beneficiaries are aware of the many options that TRICARE makes available to them," said Army Brig. Gen. Bryan Gamble, the TRICARE deputy director. "By now, all of our beneficiaries who use Walgreens to fill prescriptions should have been contacted to advise them of their pharmacy options and to take action to ensure their pharmacy benefit remains uninterrupted. The health of our service members, retirees and their families remains my number one priority."
In addition to 56,000 network pharmacies, Lainez said, TRICARE beneficiaries have other pharmacy options, including military pharmacies at no cost and convenient, low-cost TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery.
Beneficiaries can check the TRICARE website at http://www.tricare.mil for more information.
ESI has mailed information or contacted by telephone the beneficiaries who use Walgreens, and in December, they followed up with reminder letters.
If needed, beneficiaries can take current prescription bottles to a new network pharmacy to have prescriptions transferred.
Beneficiaries who need help finding a pharmacy or changing their medications to home delivery, or who have other questions, can contact Express Scripts at 1-877-885-6313. |
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