Tara's Tale: TRICARE Pharmacy

  

This month Tara's a bit under the weather (feel better, Tara!) -- it's a good thing the subject of Tara's Tale this month is TRICARE Pharmacy. Tara chats with Rear Adm. Thomas J. McGinnis, head of pharmacy operations at TRICARE, to get the “prescription” for successfully navigating our military’s TRICARE pharmacy options.

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[WILLIAM E AILES-FLANAGAN]

whY is DOD taken our walgeens fRom us..we need it, we trust walgreens,,it seems every time we turn around, something is being taken from the vet's we did what we was asked to do,,and yet DOD just keeps taken,,our cola,pushing up tricare,,can't use walgreens after dec 31/2011..tricare won't pay for your med's after that date just another way of keeping the vet's down,,they want UPS to bring your meds to your home,,to save monies,,but can the UPS MAN tell you if the meds your taken are the right ones no he can't,,,but the people at walgreen can,,BUT DOD FEELS THEY WON'T BE MAKING ANY MONIES FROM WALGREENS,,its all about the dollar bill they care less and less about the VET'S JUST THE DOLLAR BILL,,people can HAVE CVS,BUT THE VETS CAN'T HAVE WALGREEN DEC/31/2011 IS THE LAST DAY FOR VETS TO USE,,AFTER THAT DATE TRICARE WON'T FOR ANY VET'S MEDS,,WELL WE BEEN KICKED IN THE BACK AGAIN,,,

[William]

I had to move 3 prescriptions previously filled through the mail order to a retail pharmacy. Express Scripts didn't like the directions. One was for a dosage between recommended dosages. The other two showed the quantity for 3 months, but not daily instructions. So Express-Scripts calls the MTF, then returns the Rx 1-2 days later when call is not returned. Retail pharmacy told me instructions were good when I turned the Rx in, but then decided they weren't. When the MTF did not return retail pharmacy calls, the retail pharmacy called, asked me and then filled the Rx's.

Just dividing the number by ninety gives the daily use - Duh! Express-Scripts Customer Service concerning this issue was really bad. I'm pretty disgusted with them and not inclined to give them another chance.

[Tom]

Just getting started with Express Scripts has been painful! After three weeks of back-and-forth over my prescriptions, once they are all in the system, they refuse to fill two of them because they say they have to contact the Dr. again because the two shouldn't be taken together. No kidding; that is why I take one in the morning and one at night. Been doing it for 5 years without a problem. If Walgreens was still working with TRICARE, I wouldn't be fooling with Express Scripts.

[cavtrp]

Why the increase in med copay. Just a simple answer. Also why blind side the retirees. No notice of the increase.

[turb]

I do agree with cavtrp; the co-pay increase was a TOTAL blind side. There was no letter in the mail, phone call or any such thing. I just happened to be lucky enough to get the monthly report from mil.com.