04/10/2007   Affordable medication is the goal

Helen Sherman, R.Ph., Pharm.D., of Asuris’ Pharmacy Services Department recently authored an op-ed for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about Asuris’ step-therapy approach to prescription medications and how it helps address rising health care costs.

Step therapy is not new either at Asuris or other health plans. Step therapy became news recently not because of what we are doing at Asuris, but rather because the Uniform Medical Health Plan and Medicaid moved Lipitor^® to non-formulary status. This move has resulted in significant copay increases for their members. We moved Lipitor to non-formulary status more than two years ago based on our evidence-based approach to medication reviews.

We offer incentives for members to try generics first through our Generic Incentive Program, which allows for a free trial, or "sample," of certain select generic medications for up to 30 days. We've also done other step-therapy programs, the most recent being for Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI), which are used to treat heartburn. Again we have not asked or forced anyone currently on a brand-name to change. Instead, we require that patients new to this therapy try a generic before moving to a higher-cost formulary brand-name medication.

If you have questions about step therapy, please talk with your Asuris Sales contact.

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