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The Preferred Prescription

Preferred Prescription
The Caremark Preferred/Primary Drug List contains medicines that have been evaluated for effectiveness, safety (for example, side effects, and drug-to-drug interactions) when compared to similar medicines. The Caremark Preferred/Primary Drug List is typically updated every three months, in January, April, July and October, to provide a clinically appropriate list of medicines to meet participants' needs. When visiting or speaking with your doctor, ask him/her to consider a medicine that is listed in the Preferred/Primary Drug List. Please provide your doctor with a copy of the Caremark Preferred/Primary Drug List (Formulary) to keep in your medical file or have the Preferred/Primary Drug List brochure available when you or a family member visits the doctor.

Generic Drugs
Your prescription benefit is provided to ensure that you receive the most appropriate and effective treatment for your individual condition, while managing cost for both you and your employer. An effective way to control costs is through the use of generic medicines. A generic medicine is a copy that is identical to a brand name in dosage, safety, strength, how it is taken, quality, performance and intended use. Since generics use the same active ingredients and are shown to work the same way in the body they have the same risks and benefits as their brand name counterparts. The Food & Drug Administration has quality standards for generic drug manufacturing and rates each generic medicine. All benefit plans cover generics.

Please ask your doctor to prescribe generic drugs whenever appropriate.

Download your Preferred Drug list This list is typically updated every three months, in January, April, July and October.

 Drug List Reminders

• Generics should always be your first choice when medically appropriate.
• Ask your physician to consider prescribing a brand name product on the Drug List if
  a generic is not available.
• While brand name drugs appear in the drug list, generics may or may not appear.
• Drugs on the Drug List are chosen and reviewed by a panel of physicians and
  pharmacists.
• If your prescription benefit includes Caremark's Home Delivery program, you are eligible
  to order your non-covered prescriptions through Caremark Direct.
• Unless specifically indicated, drugs on the Drug List will include all dosage forms.
• Caremark may have financial relationships with the manufacturers of the listed products.