Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts and drug discounts and technology company GoodRx have partnered to create the new drug savings program Inside Rx, an initiative that aims to lower out-of-pocket costs for people in the United States.
The program provides discounts on 40 brand name drugs for conditions such as diabetes, asthma, allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression, and heart disease to people under 65 who aren’t on government insurance programs such as Medicare, Tricare, or Medicaid. Currently, eight pharmaceutical manufacturers are participating: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Takeda, and Teva.
Those who are eligible can participate by obtaining a free savings card at InsideRx.com, then presenting it at a participating pharmacy such as CVS, Walgreens, or the Kroger Family of Pharmacies. There are no membership fees or costs to take part in the program.
The founders of Inside RX estimate that those who sign up for the initiative’s discount card or who download the app will pay an average of 34% less for medicines included in the program. Humalog and Humulin insulins are included with discounts in the 40% to 50% range, Novolin is discounted at 75% to 78%, and Jentadueto is discounted at 53%, according to BioPharmaDive.
“When people go to the pharmacy counter and have that sticker shock often they walk away, saying ‘I can’t do that today,'” noted Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks. Inside Rx “maybe can bridge some people to fill that prescription, control their diabetes a little better.”
For more information about available medicines and participating pharmacies, and to get your savings card, visit the Inside RX website.
This blog entry was written by Senior Digital Editor Diane Fennell.
