The Doctor Is In

TRICARE beneficiaries have several choices to obtain their prescription medications, which include pharmacies at military clinics and hospitals, Pharmacy Home Delivery and more than 57,000 in-network retail pharmacy locations nationwide. Many beneficiaries find that military pharmacies, which fill brand name and generic prescriptions at no cost, are their best option, but you may decide the convenience of Home Delivery is right for you.

If you are using Home Delivery, you will want to do everything you can to ensure your prescriptions are delivered on-time and accurately. More than 1 million prescriptions ship monthly through Home Delivery, but there are times when a prescription can’t be filled and the order must be returned to the beneficiary.

The most common reason your medication cannot be filled is information missing from the prescription, such as a date of birth or address. If required information is missing, Express Scripts Inc., the TRICARE pharmacy contractor, will contact either you or the prescribing physician to try to get the appropriate information to fill your prescription.

Some medications may require prior authorization or approval, or have a limit on the quantity that can be prescribed at one time. To ensure your prescription is filled without a problem, you can call Express Scripts at 1-877-363-1303, or check out the formulary search tool at pec.ha.osd.mil/formulary_search.php for medication limitations.

It can be frustrating to receive a returned prescription or an “unable to fill” letter. The following are some suggestions to help avoid having a prescription returned:

• Ask your physician to send prescriptions electronically to TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery.
• If submitting a prescription by mail, make sure the patient’s name, date of birth, mailing address and the sponsor’s Social Security number are written clearly on the back of the prescription.
• If you receive a message from Express Scripts about your prescription, or if you don’t receive a prescription you’ve ordered, contact Express Scripts right away to find out what you need to do to get your prescription filled.

TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery delivers prescription medications safely and securely right to your door. There is no cost for generic medications, and brand name medications cost only $9 for up to a 90-day supply, only a quarter the cost at a network retail pharmacy. Home Delivery has no shipping costs, and refills are easily ordered online, by phone, regular mail, or mobile app. Home Delivery also offers convenient notifications about order status, refill reminders, and assistance in renewing expired prescriptions.

For more information on TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery visit www.tricare.mil/homedelivery or the Express Scripts website at www.express-scripts.com/TRICARE. Smartphone users can download the Express Rx mobile app for free by going to www.express-scripts.com/mobile or by using services like the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace.