Formulary Updates
Changes to the Formulary Medication List can occur at any time
throughout the year.
The following medications are now on the Preferred-Brand Tier:
Femring®*
Exforge®**
*Requires three copayments per fill (provides three-month supply of medication)
**Step therapy requirement apply
The following medications have been added to
the Tablet-Splitting Program:
Lexapro®
Lamictal®
®
Benicar *
Benicar HCT®*
*Step therapy requirements still apply
Have you lost your copy of the FCC 2007 formulary tri-fold?
Don’t worry; just go to www.firstcarolinacare.com, click on the
members menu and then click on Medication Formulary and
print off a copy of the 2007 tri-fold. If this is not convenient for
you, ask your employer for a copy of the formulary or give us
a call at FCC and we can mail a copy to your home.
Important
Pharmacy Benefit
Contact Information
thepharmacyconnection
P h a r m a c y
B e n e f i t
N e w s l e t t e r
Volume 1, Issue 2
November 2007
FirstCarolinaCare Insurance
Company, Inc.
Office Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Customer Service: (910) 715-8100
(800) 574-8556 • (910) 715-8101 (fax)
E-mail: fcci@firstcarolinacare.com
Web site: www.firstcarolinacare.com
MedImpact
(Pharmacy Benefits Manager)
24 hour service available
Customer Service: (800) 788-2949
E-mail: customerservice@medimpact.com
Web site: www.medimpact.com
Walgreens Mail Order Service
Customer Service: (866) 304-2846
Web site: www.walgreenshealth.com
www.medimpact.com
970-173-7
Split the Pill, Split Your Bill
In September 2006, FCC began offering a
voluntary tablet-splitting program called “Split the
Pill, Split Your Bill” that can save you 50 percent
on your monthly prescription drug costs if you
participate in the program. Initially, the program
was limited to the class of cholesterol-lowering
medications called “statins” which included
Crestor®, Lipitor®, simvastatin (generic Zocor®),
and pravastatin 10mg, 20mg and 40mg tablets
(generic Pravachol®). In September 2007, the
program was expanded to include Lexapro®,
Lamictal®, Benicar®, Benicar HCT® and pravastatin
80mg tablets.
How can I participate in the TabletSplitting Program?
The voluntary tablet-splitting program is
available to all FCC members taking one of
the eligible medications (Crestor®, Lipitor®,
simvastatin (generic Zocor®), pravastatin (generic
Pravachol®), Lexapro®, Lamictal®, Benicar® and
Benicar HCT®). If you want to participate in
the savings, discuss with your physician or
pharmacist if tablet splitting is right for you.
If you can safely split your tablets in half, then
you will need a new prescription. The new
prescription needs to be for the same medication
you have been taking but at twice the usual
strength and half the usual quantity. You will
then split the tablets in half, and that will be your
usual dose. For example, if you normally take
Lexapro® 10mg once daily, your physician will
write a new prescription for 15 Lexapro® 20mg
tablets with directions to take half a tablet daily.
This will give you your usual dose of 10mg a
day for 30 days.
How does tablet splitting save money?
Some medications are “flat priced,” which
means the different strengths of one medication
cost about the same price. For example, Lexapro®
10mg tablets cost about the same as Lexapro®
20mg tablets. Splitting a higher-strength tablet in
half allows you to take the same daily dose but
buy only half as many tablets. In this case, you
buy 15 tablets instead of 30 tablets for a onemonth supply. Since the quantity of medication is
cut in half, the cost of the medication is also cut in
half.
How does tablet splitting save me, the
member, money?
FCC is passing along the cost-savings to
members participating in the program by cutting
your usual monthly prescription copayment in
half. For example, if you normally pay $50 per
month, you will save 50 percent and only pay $25
per month by participating in the tablet-splitting
program. Please remember, the program applies
only to a 30-day supply of one of the medications
included in the tablet-splitting program. It is not
available for mail order or Choice90RX.
How do I get a tablet splitter?
FCC will cover the cost of two tablet splitters
per year for members participating in the tabletsplitting program at $0 copayment or at no charge
to you. Just ask your physician to write a
prescription for a tablet splitter and your
pharmacist will submit a claim for one of the
covered tablet splitters. You must have the tablet
splitter processed through your prescription drug
benefit for it to be covered. You cannot buy a
tablet splitter off the shelf and submit the receipt
for reimbursement. If you break or lose your
tablet splitter, the pharmacist can “fill” another
approved tablet splitter for you for free. You will
be responsible for any additional tablet splitters if
more than two per year are needed.
continued on next page
Permit No. 289
Southern Pines, NC
PAID
Presort Standard
US Postage
Split the Pill, Split Your Bill
Is Tablet Splitting Safe?
The medications selected for the tabletsplitting program are safe and easy to split with
a tablet splitter. Physicians have recommended
tablet splitting for years to help patients swallow
tablets that are too big or, in this case, to help
patients save money on their medications. Even
though physicians have been recommending tablet
splitting for many years for various reasons,
you should first discuss with your physician
or pharmacist if a tablet can be safely split.
When in doubt, ask.
Also, just because the medication can be safely
split does not mean that everyone is a candidate
for tablet splitting. People who have trouble
seeing, using their hands or remembering may
not be able to split tablets safely and accurately,
and that could compromise their care.
continued from previous page
What if one half of the tablet is
larger than the other half?
It is common for one-half of the tablet to be slightly
larger than the other half. Small changes in dosage
from day to day should not change the effects of these
medications. It is best to split one tablet at a time.
This will help ensure constant drug levels and prevent
the medication from breaking down.
Is the tablet-splitting program available
through Mail Order or Choice90RX?
No, the tablet-splitting program is available only for
a 30-day supply from your local pharmacy at this time.
How can I find more information about the
tablet- splitting program?
For more detailed information about “Split the Pill,
Split Your Bill,” go to www.firstcarolinacare.com or call
(800) 574-8556.
You can participate in the Tablet-Splitting Program if you take:
Potential Patient Savings Each Year
Lexapro 5mg or 10mg
$240-$300
Lamictal 12.5mg, 50mg, 75mg or 100mg
$150-$210
Benicar 10mg or 20mg
$150-$210
Benicar HCT 10mg/6.25mg, 20mg/6.25mg or 20mg/12.5mg
$150-$210
Crestor 5mg, 10mg or 20mg
$240-$300
Lipitor 10mg, 20mg or 40mg
$150-$210
Simvastatin 5mg, 10mg, 20mg or 40mg
$60
Pravastatin 10mg, 20mg or 40mg
$60
Pharmacy Updates
Important information for members using
albuterol CFC meter-dose inhalers:
In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
required that the propellant chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
could no longer be used in aerosol products after
December 31, 2008, due to the harmful effects on the
ozone layer. CFC has been the propellant used in most
inhalers to help get the drug delivered from the canister
to the patient and is used in generic albuterol inhalers.
As a result of this rule, albuterol inhalers have been
reformulated to remove the CFC propellant, which has
been replaced with a more environmentally friendly
propellant, hydrofluoroalkane (HFA).
The new albuterol HFA meter-dose inhalers are
considered brand-name medications without generic
equivalents, according to the FDA. This means your
FCC copayment will increase from the generic
copayment to the preferred-brand copayment. Three
albuterol HFA meter-dose inhalers are currently
available: ProAir HFA®, Proventil HFA® and Ventolin
HFA®. All three medications are preferred-brand
medications on the FCC formulary.
You may still be able to buy the generic albuterol
CFC inhalers at the pharmacy until the end of 2008
as long as they are available.
continued on next page
Pharmacy
Updates
New Generics for 2007
Brand Name
Generic Name
Ambien
zolpidem
Cipro XR
ciprofloxacin
Coreg Immediate Release tablets
carvedilol
Focalin Immediate Release tablets (QL)*
dexmethylphenidate tablets
Lamisil tablets (QL)*
terbinafine tablets
Lotrel (10/20mg, 5/20mg, 5/10mg, 2.5/10mg)
amlodipine/benazepril
Natafort
vinatal forte
Norvasc
amlodipine
Omnicef
cefdinir
Pravachol 80mg (TS)**
pravastatin
Toprol XL (25mg, 50mg, 100mg, 200mg)
metoprolol extended release
Vantin
cefpodoxime
Verelan PM
verapamil ER PM
Zantac syrup
ranitidine syrup
continued from previous page
Only one company has continued
to make generic albuterol CFC
inhalers. As a result, the supply
of generic albuterol CFC inhalers
may be limited and unpredictable.
Omacor has a New Name,
LOVAZA
In July 2007, Reliant
Pharmaceuticals changed the
name of Omacor (omega-3-acid
ethyl esters) to LOVAZA
(omega-3-acid ethyl esters) at
the request of the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). Lovaza
is the same medication as
Omacor, but with a new name.
The FDA requested a name
change to prevent prescribing
and dispensing errors with a
medication that sounds similar
to Omacor called Amicar.
Lovaza will remain a nonpreferred medication on the FCC
formulary.
* QL-quantity limit
** TS-tablet-splitting opportunity
Pharmacy Benefit Reminders
FirstCarolinaCare Insurance Company, Inc. (FCC) covers three
over-the-counter medications for a $10 copayment. These medications
include the antihistamine Claritin (loratadine), the antihistamine/
decongestant Claritin-D (loratadine/pseudoephedrine) for allergy
symptoms and the proton pump inhibitor, Prilosec OTC, for heartburn
symptoms. In order for these medications to be covered through your
pharmacy benefits, you must have a prescription from your physician
and have it filled at your pharmacy. It is important to remember that
you cannot buy the medication off the shelf and submit the receipt to
FCC for reimbursement.
If you have any questions, please contact FCC at (800) 574-8556 or
MedImpact at (800) 788-2949.
Did you know that you could purchase
Claritin and Claritin-D (loratadine and
loratadine-D) through your prescription
drug benefits?
Yes, Claritin and Claritin-D are covered through your pharmacy
benefits for a $10 copayment. All you need is a prescription from
your physician to use the pharmacy benefit.