Walgreens encourages mail-order pharmacy patients to make the switch

DEERFIELD, Ill. — It seems that many mail-order pharmacy patients are unaware that they can receive their 90-day supply of prescription medications at community pharmacies.

Walgreens on Wednesday said that among 1,000 consumers surveyed by Echo Research between Dec. 10 and Dec. 20, 2010, nearly half of mail-order pharmacy users believed that mail is their only option to receive 90-day prescriptions. What's more, the drug store chain noted, two-thirds of 30-day chronic medication users said they would be "extremely or very likely to switch" to 90-day supplies at their community pharmacies if given the option.

These results have prompted Walgreens to launch an initiative to encourage eligible prescription customers to transfer their prescriptions to community pharmacies. Walgreens' Go 90 program "will inform eligible patients that they can receive a 90-day medication supply from their trusted community pharmacist," according to the drug store chain's president and CEO, Greg Wasson.

Last year, the drug store chain announced a partnership with pharmacy benefit manager Navitus Health Solutions to help pharmacy benefit management clients save on prescription costs with a 90-day supply option at community pharmacies. The program resulted in $3.3 million in savings over a seven-month period, Walgreens said back in November.

“By offering payers programs that leverage our 90-day supply at retail capability, which reduces overall health costs and improves health outcomes, we continue to demonstrate our unique set of pharmacy, health-and-wellness solutions,” said Walgreens health-and-wellness division president Hal Rosenbluth. “As we provide additional tangible savings results from our work with clients like Navitus, we are confident that more payers and employers will welcome the opportunity to provide their members and employees the option of 90-day supplies at their community pharmacy.”