Rxconnector-05-xx-07.pub

RxCONNECTOR
A publication of the North Dakota Insurance Department
1) BD Diabetes has complimentary education
guarantees the products are in good condition products and “Getting Started Take Home Kits and function as designed. The products are sent for Syringes & Pen Needles”, as well as to clinics only. Individuals are not eligible to syringes, that are available for your clinic and/or participate in this program. Supplies available: www.bddiabetes.com. The phone number for the BD Insulin Syringe Program is 866.818.6906. BD also has a program that will provide a three- To participate, clinics must meet the following 2) NeedyMeds is now able to help clinics that
serve low and no income clients obtain free • Be a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, medications. The products provided are new, Welcome to the RxConnector newsletter!
Contact the
This newsletter is designed to keep you up to date about the Prescription Connection for ND Department:
program and to keep you in the know about the various prescription assistance programs that are available. In addition, from time to time, we may 1.888.575.6611
also include other items of interest related to Medicare and the Senior Health Insurance insurance@nd.gov
www.state.nd.us/ndins
As always, thank you so much for all that you do for the Prescription Connection program! Without your help, our work would be that much harder. Your efforts are valued and appreciated! If you have items of interest that you think should be included in this newsletter, we would love to hear about them! Please contact Sharon St. Aubin by email at sstaubin@nd.gov or call her toll free at 888.575.6611. w w w . n e e d y m e d s . c o m / s u p p l y a s s i s t a n c e / PA, RN, Nurse Practitioner, or sapintro.tml pharmacist) available to receive and 3) Eli Lilly is introducing the first insulin pen with
a memory chip to track doses. The pen will cost NeedyMeds will email the clinics when items are approximately $100.00 (not including the insulin available. Each clinic will email its request for cartridges) and the company said that it will supplies. NeedyMeds will determine which items provide coupons for consumers to purchase the are sent to each clinic. The products will be pen for $45.00. For more information on the directly from the donor's facility. For more product, see: http://newsroom.lilly.com/Releas information, visit NeedMeds website: http:// Clopidogrel, the generic version of Plavix, was added to the drug look-up list on the drug plan originally released during the summer of 2006. However, the generic version was removed from the market a short time later because of a patent In the meantime, plans can cover Clopidogrel. However, plans must continue to cover the brand drug, Plavix, under their plan’s formulary Many pharmacies received supplies of Clopido- grel before the dispute came up and conse- quently had a supply of the drug that was being Plans are not permitted to:
dispensed to some individuals over the past couple of months, even though the generic is not really available in the marketplace. The Reference NDC list (master list of drugs) does not currently have Clopidogrel listed as an available drug and this list is used to derive the drug look-up list on the drug plan finder. Once the generic is available on the list, it will be quantity limit requirements for the drug). MEDICARE PART D APPEALS MANUAL AVAILABLE hensive, easy-to-understand cates, and links to important w w w . m e d i c a r e r i g h t s . o r g / w w w . m e d i c a r e r i g h t s . o r g / IVAX (now part of Teva) has added new script for 1 QVAR, the patient will not be able to programs to their PAP services. Carmen of the get any more until after the 60 day period. Volunteers in Medicine Clinic in Oregon reports that the program will cover 2 QVAR every 60 To help navigate the phone system, Carmen has days and 1 Nasarel every 60 days. The important thing is to write the script for the quantity covered. For instance, if you only write a (heart problems) associated taking Zelnorm should seek with use of the drug. emergency medical care if Accordingly, Novartis has they experience severe chest o r d e r e d t h a t N o v a r t i s marketing of the drug in the Pharmaceuticals Corporation, United States. The FDA is weakness or difficulty walking "willingly" stop marketing currently advising patients who See in-depth story on pergolide on
next page
LISTERINE AGENT COOL BLUE RINSE RECALLED The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has The FDA said the manufacturer of the rinse, announced a voluntary nationwide recall of all McNeil-PPC Inc., a Johnson & Johnson lots of Listerine Agent Cool Blue Plaque- subsidiary, decided to recall approximately 4 million bottles after finding the rinse had been The generic version of Ambien has been added Number of People in
Household
Patients applying for Xubex services must meet all of the following guidelines to qualify for their • Must provide a recent proof of income; • Must provide a valid prescription Patients enrolled in Medicare Part D are eligible.
Annual income for enrollment in the program should meet the income* requirements in the *Applies to the 48 contiguous states and District of Columbia PERGOLIDE (PERMAX) WITHDRAWN FROM MARKET regimens describe the conversion from one companies that manufacture and distribute pergolide have agreed to withdraw this drug from the market due to the potential for heart valve • If treatment with a DA is to be discontinued, damage. pergolide should not be stopped abruptly, Two new studies showed that patients with Parkinson’s disease who were treated with dangerous. Instead, gradually decrease the pergolide had an increased chance of serious damage to their heart valves when compared to patients who did not receive the drug. • Patients who will be taken off pergolide should be told that other effective options for Pergolide is a member of a class of drugs known treatment exist, including three other DAs as dopamine agonists and is used with levodopa that are not associated with damage to heart symptoms (tremors and slowness of movement) of Parkinson’s disease. In 2006, a boxed warning regarding the risk of serious heart valve damage was added to the Patients with Parkinson’s disease who are labeling for pergolide. The two recent studies,
taking pergolide should:
Medicine in January 2007, confirm earlier studies • Contact their healthcare professional to that also described this problem. Pergolide is marketed by Valeant under the trade name • NOT stop taking pergolide without consulting generic drug pergolide by Par and Teva. their healthcare professional, since stopping pergolide too quickly can be dangerous and In light of this additional safety information and several other effective treatments are the availability of alternative treatments for available. comparable safety problems, the companies that Healthcare professionals who prescribe manufacture and sell pergolide have stopped
pergolide should consider the following:
shipping pergolide for distribution and will, in cooperation with FDA, work to remove from the • Assess the patient’s need for dopamine market both the name brand Permax (pergolide) • If continued treatment with a DA is The effect of this voluntary withdrawal on necessary, another DA should be substituted supplies of pergolide currently in pharmacies will for pergolide. There are other dopamine not be immediate. This delay will allow time for agonists approved for the treatment of healthcare professionals and patients to discuss Parkinson’s disease that are not associated appropriate treatment options and to change with heart valve damage. Published transition treatments. April 4, 2007 marks the formation of the new US pharmaceuticals division and Berlex Inc., Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc, created through the integration of Bayer HealthCare's US PATIENTS NEED TO DISCUSS MEDICATION COSTS when writing prescriptions. ter to people who may be pur- physician and pharmacist of patients questioned their The following companies have new applications: Medicare Rx Connect is a user friendly site that may answer questions for you or for Medicare beneficiaries. The information is easy to access and includes items that are frequently questioned. Click on the following link and peruse the con- The message is ready to be sent with the follow- The Medicare Rights Center your community. With this benefit. Submit your story at (MRC) needs to hear about all information, the MRC will be the problems with the Medicare armed with the needed http://www.medicarerights.org/Part D benefit, whether they evidence to push for a partdstories.html happen to you or someone in Medicare-administered drug Dostinex, from Pfizer’s Connection to Care, has been on backorder for sev- please call 1-888-575-6611 for

Source: https://www.meetinglink.org/ship07/present/pdf/Sheldon_%20handout1.pdf