BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Nov. 11, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Building on its highly successful Generic Solutions Member Outreach
program, CIGNA Pharmacy Management (CPM) today introduced a
companion Generic Solutions Physician Outreach program. The
program is designed to show prescribing physicians where there
might be opportunities to help their patients save money by
changing their prescriptions from brand name drugs to less expensive
generic therapeutic alternative medications.
The goal of the program is to help members
and plan sponsors achieve savings through the use of generic
drugs. The company is using a targeted, "one claim at a
time" approach to ensure that only opportunities that result
in savings to both the member and plan sponsor are included
in both the member and the physician Generic Solutions programs.
If every potential prescription in this program were converted
to a generic therapeutic alternative, CPM estimates that the
savings from the physician outreach program could be as much
as $70 million for the first year. About half of the savings
would benefit the member in copayment reduction and the other
half would benefit the plan sponsor in a reduction in the cost
of the medications. CIGNA HealthCare fully insured clients with
a CIGNA Pharmacy Management pharmacy benefit currently have
the program. The program will be available to self-insured clients
later this year.
While the member outreach program focuses on those brand name
drugs that have direct generic versions, the physician outreach
program focuses on certain brand name drugs that do not have
direct generic versions, so-called single-source brands, because
the active ingredient is available only from the brand drug
maker. Many single-source brands do, however, have a generic
therapeutic alternative within the same drug class.
"Although the active ingredients of the generic drug may
be different, the drug may be used to treat the same condition
and provide a similar therapeutic effect," said Jon Maesner,
vice president for CPM. "We rely on the CIGNA Pharmacy
& Therapeutics Committee to evaluate these generic medications
to determine that they are as safe and effective as the alternative
single-source brand. However, only a prescribing physician can
change a prescription to a generic therapeutic alternative to
save their patients money, which is why we are communicating
with physicians in this program ... and asking them to discuss
this option with their patients who are CIGNA HealthCare members."
CPM achieved industry-leading generic utilization rates of
almost 53 percent with the Generic Solutions Member Outreach
Program introduced in 2003. Members were able to save an average
of $14 for each 30-day prescription that was converted from
a brand name to a generic drug. Self-funded plan sponsors or
employers, who pay the balance of the cost of the medications,
saved an average of $46 for each monthly prescription. CIGNA
Pharmacy Management estimated that annualized savings for the
member outreach program could be more than $12 million.
"CIGNA Pharmacy Management" refers to various operating
subsidiaries of CIGNA Corporation (NYSE: CI - News). Products
and services are provided by these subsidiaries and not by CIGNA
Corporation. These subsidiaries include Connecticut General
Life Insurance Company, Tel-Drug, Inc., Tel-Drug of Pennsylvania,
L.L.C., and HMO or service company subsidiaries of CIGNA Health
Corporation.
Source: CIGNA Healthcare
