Pharmacy assistance available to displaced military families

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FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFPN) --  Military evacuees displaced by Hurricane Katrina may request that their prescription records at military treatment facilities in the Gulf Coast be transferred to other military or retail pharmacies nationwide, Tricare officials said.

With this policy, displaced beneficiaries with available refills are not required to see a primary care manager to have their prescriptions rewritten. Additionally, through Sept. 14, Tricare will waive the pharmacy co-pay for those beneficiaries affected by Hurricane Katrina who are unable to pay it.

Tricare is working closely with retail pharmacies to ensure that military evacuees maintain access to their pharmacy benefits. For example, victims sheltered in and around Houston are now able to fill their prescriptions at a pharmacy recently set up at the Astrodome. This newly established facility is now one of many retail pharmacies in the national Tricare pharmacy network.

Displaced beneficiaries previously using the mail-order pharmacy may request their prescriptions from retail pharmacies if they are unable to receive them by mail. For those relocating to areas where postal service is still available, Express Scripts International, Tricare’s pharmacy contractor, is updating patient information to include temporary mailing addresses so prescriptions will reach the beneficiaries at their new location.

For assistance, hurricane victims may call Tricare at (866) 275-4732. They may also contact ESI at the following phone numbers for questions about the TRICARE mail-order and retail pharmacy programs:

-- Mail-order pharmacy program: (866) 363-8667.

-- Retail pharmacy program: (866) 363-8779.

For more information, people can visit the Tricare Web site at www.tricare.osd.mil. (Courtesy of Tricare Management Activity)