Many UTU members obtain their prescription drugs through Medco, which has been acquired by Express Scripts following Federal Trade Commission approval of the corporate combination.
Notwithstanding the acquisition by Express Scripts of Medco, UTU members receiving mail order prescriptions through Medco will continue ordering and receiving their medications as they have in the past, without any changes.
All packaging and labels will remain the same, as will addresses and phone numbers for pharmacy-related questions and other information. Nor will there be a need to change retail pharmacies or alter home delivery orders in any manner.
The combined Express Scripts and Medco, known as pharmacy-benefit managers (PBMs), now control 40 percent of that market, according to the Economist magazine. PBMs, reported the Economist, encourage consumers to fill their prescriptions through the mail instead of going to a more costly pharmacy.
Express Scripts recently launched a program, ScreenRx, which utilizes software to sift through hundreds of factors that affect patients and forecast who is most likely to forget a refill or simply stop taking their drugs. The company then plans to contact those patients to help them stick with their doctor’s orders.
Related News
- WATCH: Members Step Up to Take Care of Their Own
- Metro Micro Operators Overwhelmingly Ratify First Contract
- New Documentary Features California Local 1741 Bus Operators
- WATCH: Railroaders Meet Life’s Risks Head-On
- What Does $73.16/Hour Actually Mean?
- New Jersey Leads with Rail Safey Law
- “The Safety Program That Works — And Why Railroads Won’t Use It”
- Jobs Still Protected After Merger Delay
- Recommit to the Work Ahead this MLK Day
- Federal Protection for Train Crews Promised by Passenger Rail Crew Protection Act