As a provider of a prescription drug benefit, you have undoubtedly been concerned about the escalating costs of delivering that benefit to your members. Encouraging them to rely on a mail service pharmacy - particularly for long-term medications - ranks among the most powerful means available for capturing cost savings for you and for members, while improving their overall satisfaction with your pharmacy benefit.

The Medco Pharmacy, in particular, can help you improve your plan's clinical effectiveness and deliver a level of patient safety unmatched by any other mail service or retail pharmacy - in addition to helping you meet your plan's financial objectives. Drawing on the industry's largest national network of facilities and computer systems, our clinical professionals and customer service staff are focused on providing your members with medications they need to stay healthy. Combining quality of care and ready access with saving time and money quickly establishes mail order as many members' preferred channel for obtaining their medications.

The Medco Pharmacy can help you realize cost savings compared with retail networks, through:

• Discounts off the average wholesale price of drugs
• Fewer dispensing fees because of the extended days' supply through mail order (typically 90 days versus 30 days at retail pharmacies)

In addition, your plan can see increased savings from:

• Faster adoption of generic drugs
• Improved formulary compliance rates
• Higher compliance with utilization and safety rules

Your members also typically save on the amount of co-payments they'd make for the same quantity of medication dispensed by a retail pharmacy. Actual savings for you and your members depend on the cost-sharing structure of your benefit plan.

Consumers accustomed to having their prescriptions filled at a local retail pharmacy may question what they gain, beyond savings, by using the Medco Pharmacy. Once they try it, however, most members are sold on the whole experience, including its convenience and the around-the-clock availability of our clinical staff should they have any questions. In fact, their overall experience has earned us a high level of loyalty. More than 95 percent of members who have used the Medco Pharmacy say they plan to do so again.

Nothing is more important to your members than the confidence of knowing they will receive the right drug, in the right dosage, at the right time. This has always been our first priority.

As a result of our 2 decades of experience and significant investments in technology, we are able to separate the clinical functions of the practice of pharmacy from the more automated task of dispensing medications.

Our prescription processing systems enable our pharmacists to focus on what they do best: work directly with patients and prescribers to provide the most timely, accurate clinical advice possible. This involves reviewing and interpreting prescriptions, screening for interactions based on each patient's drug history and medical profile, and providing counsel as needed.

• We have a dedicated team of pharmacists who focus solely on drug utilization reviews to make sure the medication your member has been prescribed is the right drug, in the right dose, at the right time.
• Once a prescription has been verified and approved, our highly automated, proprietary systems then handle the dispensing of the medication quickly and accurately. In fact, our dispensing operations are significantly more accurate than hospitals or retail operations, exceeding Six Sigma levels of dispensing accuracy. A statistical standard used to characterize a near-perfect production environment, Six Sigma represents a 99.997 percent error-free rate, unmatched by any retail pharmacy.
• Comprehensive and easy-to-understand information is included with each new prescription we send your members to help them use their medications correctly. Members can get additional detailed information on virtually any health topic online using our VIPPS^®1-certified consumer website, the industry's most experienced Internet pharmacy site.

• Your members save time by submitting prescription orders through a variety of channels:
  • Internet: The point-and-click ordering system available through our consumer site couldn't be simpler to refill or renew prescriptions, as well as order a variety of over-the-counter medications and other healthcare products online.
  • Telephone: Members can order refills by telephone through our easy-to-use automated system.
  • Fax: Prescribers can fax members' new and renewal prescriptions.
  • Mail: Many members are accustomed to our convenient order forms and envelopes to obtain new, refill, and renewal prescriptions by mail.
• When they order by mail, members receive their first prescriptions at home in 7 to 11 days and refills in 9 days or less. Faxed prescription orders are usually delivered within 5 to 8 days. Refill prescriptions ordered through the Internet or by phone are usually delivered within 3 to 5 days. Standard shipping is free for members and expedited shipping is available for an additional fee.
• With mail order, your members avoid having to visit a local retail pharmacy each month, since dispensing usually covers a three months' supply and fewer refills are required throughout the year. In addition, electronic refill reminders are available online or through e-mail to assist members with easy ordering.
• Your members may select automatic billing by credit card or may pay by check or money order upon receipt of their orders.

To help you encourage greater use of our mail-order pharmacy by your members, we can provide proven support tools at no additional cost. These include:

• Targeted direct mail and telephone communications
• Customized and targeted online messaging for members
• General communications, such as newsletter articles, e-mail templates, posters, brochures, and table tents
• Customer service support

For more information on our pharmacies, position papers, and various promotional support programs, contact your Medco account manager or a Medco sales representative. For sales contact information, click here.

1- Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) designation by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.