Savings Mount for PharmAssist Users
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2004-04-26 11:11:00-04:00
Last year, Bess Arnold of Cheyenne was in the halls of the Wyoming Capitol, talking with legislators about the importance of passing a bill that would help residents lower their prescription drug costs. Arnold represented AARP members and herself.
The rising cost of prescription drugs was just one of the reasons Arnold was considering coming out of retirement and finding a part-time job. And although Arnold says she knows the amount she and her rancher husband pay for medications isn't as high as some of her friends and neighbors, it was more than they had planned to spend.
She found a job and knew the pay would cover their increased expenses, but when that legislative bill she had fought for resulted in a program called, The Wyoming PharmAssist, Arnold was one of the first to call its toll-free hotline.
Arnold will save more than $1,000 a year on her current pharmacy costs, thanks to the PharmAssist program.
How it Works
A Wyoming resident calls the toll-free hotline (877-246-4114) and requests a form to record the medicine they are taking. The form is sent into the PharmAssist program, which is administered by the Wyoming Department of Health and the University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy. Then an appointment is made for the caller to have a one-on-one consultation with a registered pharmacist in Casper, Cheyenne, Laramie, Torrington or Worland.
At the consultation, the caller and pharmacist review all the medicine the person is taking and look for generic or less-expensive name brand drug alternatives. The pharmacist also looks for potentially harmful drug interactions and cases where a patient may be over-medicated. Then the patient takes the recommendations to their doctor for a final review.
Under the PharmAssist program, Arnold's pharmacist found a $12-a-month drug she could take instead of a $43 medication she was using, which saved her $31 a month. Her pharmacist recommended that she slowly wean herself from the use of another medicine, which will eventually save her another $29 a month, and he discovered she could eliminate excess vitamins, saving her another $25 amonth, for a total of $85 per month or $1,020 annually.
"I try to keep active and exercise regularly, and I know that helps keep my prescription costs down," Arnold said. "Imagine how much someone taking more medicine than me could save."
As of March 1, the Wyoming PharmAssist has been able to save callers an average of $1,866 a year or $155 a month. The program is in a pilot stage and has been approved by the Legislature to go statewide on July 1, 2004. It takes roughly five weeks to get a consultation appointment once the application form has been received by the PharmAssist program. The service is open to any state resident, regardless of age or income.
Call 1-877-246-4114 toll-free to get the ball rolling today. Ask for an application and start saving money on your pharmacy bills.
Other Resources
- AARP Announcement: The PharmAssist is Ready to Help You
- Wyoming PharmAssist
- Wyoming Department of Health Pharmacy Division
- University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy
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