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Medicare Rx Drug Finder Now Available
After a series of delays, Medicare unveiled on Nov. 7 its Part D prescription drug plan finder, which allows users to compare the hundreds of private Part D plans being offered. Available at Medicare's Web site (http://www.medicare.gov), the drug finder shows beneficiaries how much they will pay in premiums and drug costs under each plan in their area and suggests cheaper generic or alternative drugs. By entering your Medicare number, birth date and medications, you can get personalized information, such as whether your former employer provides drug coverage and if your income qualifies you for a subsidy in addition to information on costs. Advocates are concerned that the Web site may prove confusing for seniors and their families and note that seniors are less likely to use the Internet for research.
Mail-Order Pharmacies Make Fewer Errors
Fewer than one prescription per 1,000 orders filled at Medco Health Solutions mail-order pharmacies, most of which use automated pill counters, scanners and computer safety checks, had errors, according to a study published in the November issue of Pharmacotherapy. Medco examined 21,252 randomly selected prescriptions in 2003, finding an error rate of 0.075 percent, and none of the mistakes was considered serious, such as giving the wrong prescription, wrong dose or wrong form of medicine. Medco automatically fills 95 percent of the prescriptions it processes by mail order. A 2004 report by Business Communications indicates that the use of automated machines in filling prescriptions has increased, particularly with improving technology and pressure from regulators, medical professionals and consumers to improve safety. The Medco study did not include prescriptions lost in the mail.