PEP, February 2011: Some mail-order drugs will need new prescriptions

Public Employee Press

Some mail-order drugs will need new prescriptions

Members and retirees must provide new prescriptions to continue receiving controlled substances and compounded medications through the mail-order service used by the union.

In November, the DC 37 Health and Security Plan switched to a mail-order service run by Prescription Solutions, which replaced Innoviant as the plan's prescription benefit manager. Prescription Solutions, which is owned by UnitedHealthCare, purchased Innoviant in 2008. Your Innoviant ID card remains valid and local pharmacies will continue to honor it.

Except for controlled substances and compounded medications, the new mail-order facility is generally honoring the prescriptions that Innoviant handled. The Prescription Solutions mail-order facility generally fills prescriptions within a week.

Controlled substances are strictly regulated medications, such as narcotics and certain stimulants, whose availability is restricted because of their potential for abuse, dependence or addiction.

Compounded medications are prescription drugs, such as sweetened cough syrup for children, that are prepared by pharmacists for individual patients.

To refill prescriptions received through the mail service, you must use the Prescription Solutions reorder form for your first refill order. Then you may choose any of the following options for future refills:

Go to www.PrescriptionSolutions.com When you order refills online, you will receive convenient e-mail reminders when it is time to refill your medication.
Call Prescription Solutions' customer service at 1-800-207-1561, or
Complete the reorder form that you received in a mailing late last year from Prescription Solutions.

If you need a reorder form or have any questions about the mail service, contact either Prescription Solutions' customer service or the DC 37 plan's Inquiry Unit at 212-815-1234.

If you wish to make payments through a credit card, you need to register your card with Prescription Solutions.

By using the mail-order service, members and retirees will continue to receive a 90-day supply of medication for only two monthly co-pays.

Correction: In the January issue of PEP, the final paragraph of an article on the Health & Security Plan's new generic plan for statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) erroneously stated that the plan will only cover generic statins if you receive prior authorization. The article should have said you need prior authorization to receive brand-name statins.