2020 Pharmacy Cost-Savings Opportunities

2020 Pharmacy Cost-Savings Opportunities

February 21st, 2020 | Archive

For 2020 we have identified eight opportunities for cost-savings on pharmacy spend across the network in several therapeutic areas (listed by size of savings opportunity across the network). Here are recommendations that you can put into practice today that impact quality and/or cost of medication prescribing across the network:

1. Prefer the use of the authorized generic, insulin lispro as a cost-effective, rapid-acting insulin compared to Apidra®, Humalog®, Novolog®, Fiasp® or Afrezza®, when covered by the pharmacy benefit.
2. Avoid the use of GLP-1 agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors in combination for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
3. Switch patients on high-cost or brand statins (Altoprev®, Crestor®, fluvastatin, fluvastatin ER, Lipitor®, Livalo® and Zocor®) to less expensive generic formulations (atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin or lovastatin).
4. Write all generic extended release metformin prescriptions for Glucophage XR® to allow pharmacy substitution, to avoid writing for more expensive generic formulations of Glumetza® or Fortamet®.
5. Prefer generic stimulants for the treatment of ADHD whenever possible, compared to more expensive brand agents such as Vyvanse® and Concerta®.
6. Prefer the use of fluticasone/salmeterol Diskus, Wixela, Inhub, or fluticasone/salmeterol RespiClick®, as cost-effective ICS/LABA inhalers compared to Dulera®, Breo®, Advair® and Symbicort®, when covered by the pharmacy benefit.
7. Utilize generic (OTC or RX) fluticasone propionate nasal spray as the preferred intranasal corticosteroid in patients without contraindications.
8. Consider switching patients on brand Bystolic® to other cost-effective beta-1 selective beta-blockers such metoprolol succinate, metoprolol tartrate, atenolol or bisoprolol if they have not previously trialed and failed these agents.

For details on each of these opportunities that may be impactful in your day-to-day practice, please review the document below. You can also email the Pharmacy Team to request targeted patient lists to consider therapy switches or to request an in-person pharmacy outreach visit to hear more about any or all of our pharmacy initiatives.