PUBLISHED October 31, 2016 IN Working@Duke

Get the Most Out of Pharmacy Benefits

Fill prescriptions through a Duke, retail or mail-order pharmacy

Kelly Deal’s 45-minute commute to Duke each work day doesn’t allow much time for extra errands.

That’s why her oral contraceptive prescription and husband’s eye medication are delivered to her doorstep every three months through Duke’s mail-order pharmacy benefit. With mail order, she saves about $75 total on two 90-day prescriptions.

“It seems like such a no-brainer to me,” said Deal, assistant director of research at the Duke Global Health Institute. “It’s affordable. It’s easy. It’s not a lot of effort on my behalf.”

Deal orders her prescriptions online through Express Scripts, which oversees pharmacy benefits for all of Duke’s medical plans, including mail-order, participating retail pharmacies and Duke pharmacy prescription fills.

Duke staff and faculty who register on the Express Scripts website can price medications, view prescription history, find a retail pharmacy or enroll in mail order. Last year, employees and covered dependents filled about 564,000 prescriptions through Express Scripts, and nearly half were mail-order prescriptions.

“If a Duke employee is heading to the doctor’s office and they’re thinking about what the right place is for them to get a prescription, they should talk to their provider during that visit and discuss the medications they’re taking chronically,” said Victoria Lee Jackson Carter, an Express Scripts senior clinical account executive based at Duke.

Based on an employee’s pharmacy needs, here are ways to save time and money using Duke’s pharmacy benefit:

Short-term (acute) medication:
Use a retail pharmacy for up to a 34-day supply

This is the best option if you face a short-term health issue; for example, an antibiotic is needed for a bacterial infection.

But plan carefully: The fourth time you fill a maintenance medication (one you need monthly) at a retail pharmacy, there is a penalty that may result in paying more for that prescription. Certain prescriptions filled more than three times are considered long-term medications. These should instead be filled for 90 days through a Duke pharmacy or the Express Scripts mail-order pharmacy.

Long-term (chronic) medication:
Use Express Scripts mail order or a Duke pharmacy for a 90-day supply

Receiving a 90-day supply of a prescription is the best option if you have a long-term health condition or regularly take a medication. For example, this method would be appropriate for an employee on an oral contraceptive or insulin for diabetes.

By ordering a 90-day supply, you will save money on most prescriptions, especially generic brands. To start using mail order, your doctor can electronically set up new prescriptions through Express Scripts or you can call Express Scripts and request any retail medications be transferred to the mail-order service.

Still, plan carefully with a 90-day supply: Before committing to a new prescription, talk with your doctor and consider ordering your first prescription through a retail pharmacy. This way, you can uncover potential side effects and ensure the medicine fits your health needs.