Sunday, January 15, 2012

Important Info on Walgreens and Prescriptions

This post brought to you by Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

Today I want to give everyone a heads up about something that may affect you or someone you know if you use Express Scripts and get your prescriptions at Walgreens (or Duane Reade). The contract between Walgreens and Express Scripts expired at the end of last year and they've been unable to negotiate a new one, so now Walgreens isn't part of their pharmacy provider network anymore. This means that a lot of people are going to have to switch pharmacies even if they don't want to, and because Walgreens is the pharmacy benefit manager for Tricare, this includes many members of the military and their families. (Walgreens tried to work with Express Scripts to find a way to deal with Tricare separately so that military families wouldn't be affected, but they were unsuccessful in their efforts.)

Many people are understandably upset about this situation, since the change will be an inconvenience for many and is unlikely to save them money or have any other benefits. According to a press release from Walgreens, more than 250,000 people have signed a petition demanding continued access to Walgreens pharmacies through Tricare. (You can check it out for yourself here: Walgreens and Express Scripts.) Walgreens is also taking action - they're working to make the transition as easy as possible for those customers who will have to make the switch, and they're also running a special January promotion for their own Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens. Right now you can get a family membership for just $10 or an individual one for $5. The regular prices are $35 and $20 so it's a big savings, and being in the program means you can save on all generic drugs and more than 8000 brand name drugs. If you're affected by this issue it's definitely a great option to consider.

Please pass on this information to anyone that you know who may be affected by this situation, and be sure to follow Walgreens on Facebook and Walgreens on Twitter to stay updated.

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