PITTSBURGH, June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The three-year Generics First program promoting the use of generic medications to help combat the rising cost of prescription drugs has produced impressive results. Since the program’s inception more than 265,500 generic drug samples accounting for more than 1.8 million days of therapy have been distributed to Pennsylvania physicians. Throughout 2003, 465 Western Pennsylvania physicians ordered nearly 50,000 samples, accounting for more than 360,000 days of therapy.
Highmark Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, partnered with Medco Health Solutions Inc., in this first-of-its- kind generic drug sampling initiative. The Generics First program provides physicians with generic prescription drug education materials and access to free generic medication samples as part of a direct mail program.
“By providing generic drug information and access to free drug samples, we can increase the level of acceptance of generics by both physicians and their patients,” said Robert Wanovich, Highmark’s manager of clinical services. “When medically appropriate, physicians can use generic samples to begin treatment instead of prescribing higher-priced brand-name drugs.”
In fact, the latest analysis on the impact of the program reveals that the select Western Pennsylvania physicians participating in the program had a 10.5 percent overall increase from 2002 to 2003 in their generic dispensing rate for all Generics First medication categories.
Through the program, Western Pennsylvania physicians can order free generic drug samples from three high cost categories -- antihypertensives, antidepressants, and gastrointestinal agents, as well as over-the-counter medications in the high-spend non-sedating antihistamine and pain relief medication categories. These categories contain frequently prescribed, expensive drugs that have generic alternatives or OTC’s available on the market.
In addition to having access to free generic drug samples, a select group of Highmark’s physicians are visited by clinical consultants for one-on-one discussions on the availability, clinical benefits, and economic value of generic medications and to encourage their use as first-line therapy whenever medically appropriate.
“The combination of offering physicians generic drug information and free samples has a significant impact on their prescribing habits,” said Dr. Glen Stettin, vice president, Clinical Products, Medco Health. “Considering generics or even OTCs first, before prescribing more costly brand-name drugs can be as beneficial both clinically, as well as economically.”
About Highmark For more information about Highmark, visit http://www.highmark.com/. About Medco
Medco Health Solutions, Inc., a leading pharmacy benefit manager with the nation’s largest mail order pharmacy operations, assists its customers to moderate the cost and enhance the quality of prescription drug benefits provided to members nationwide. Its customers include private- and public- sector employers and healthcare organizations. Medco is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MHS. On the Net: http://www.medco.com/.
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward- looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this presentation should be evaluated together with the risks and uncertainties that affect our business, particularly those mentioned in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Medco Health Solutions, Inc.
CONTACT: Ann Smith of Medco Health Solutions, +1-201-269-5984,Ann_Smith@medcohealth.com; or Kevin Lamb, or Caitlin Faulkner, Coyne PublicRelations, +1-973-316-1665
