TRICARE Extends OTC Medication Project

TRICARE Extends OTC Medication Demonstration Project

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – TRICARE’s over-the-counter medication demonstration project has been extended by one year. The program allows TRICARE beneficiaries to substitute over-the-counter (OTC) versions of certain prescription drugs.

The OTC program, which was scheduled to end Nov. 4, 2009 as TRICARE’s new pharmacy contract starts, will continue. However, it will now offer beneficiaries certain OTC medications for a $3 copayment. The program previously did not require any copayment.

“We have decided to modify this demonstration and extend it for another year before evaluating the success of offering OTC drugs through our pharmacy benefit program,” said Public Health Service Rear Adm. Thomas McGinnis, chief of the TRICARE Pharmaceutical Operations Directorate. “We hope beneficiaries will continue to use the program as the $3 copay remains far below the average out-of-pocket price of approximately $15 for these products if they were not covered by TRICARE.”

Examples of OTC medications available through the program include the allergy medications cetirizine and loratadine, and heartburn medications (proton-pump inhibitors) Prilosec OTC and its generic form omeprazole.

As before, beneficiaries cannot just walk into a pharmacy and get OTC medications for $3. To use the program they still need a prescription from their health care provider for the OTC drug.

For more information about the TRICARE Pharmacy Program on the website.

About TRICARE Management Activity and the Military Health System
TRICARE Management Activity, the Defense Department activity that administers the health care plan for the uniformed services, retirees and their families, serves more than 9.5 million eligible beneficiaries worldwide in the Military Health System (MHS). The mission of the MHS is to enhance Department of Defense and national security by providing health support for the full range of military operations. The MHS provides quality medical care through a network of providers, military treatment facilities, medical clinics and dental clinics worldwide.