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When choosing a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, one of the most important things to consider is what that plan sponsor does to ensure its member's safety. There are certain minimum safety standards that all plans must meet, but look for a plan that goes beyond these minimum standards and places safety at the top of its priorities.

Here are some important safety questions to ask so that you're sure the plan you choose will provide the right medication at the right dosage with every order:

  • 1. Does the plan check for harmful drug interactions?
  • If so, does it have the capability to review and cross-check both retail and mail-order purchases?
  • Who reviews the prescriptions? Are they pharmacists?
  • Are new members asked to provide information about their current prescriptions and drug allergies?
  • 2. Does the plan have a mail-order pharmacy?
  • A recent Medco study found that mail-order pharmacies are safer than retail pharmacies *
  • 3. Does the plan do anything extra to protect members with serious medical conditions?
  • People with such chronic conditions as diabetes, asthma, and heart conditions often have special medication concerns. How does the plan handle these?
*

The Medco study found that its mail-order pharmacies achieve dispensing accuracy rates 23 times better than those reported in a study of dispensing accuracy in retail pharmacies. The Medco study used similar elements of dispensing accuracy, such as drug and dose, as used by researchers at Auburn University in a 2003 study of retail pharmacy dispensing error rates. That study reported a retail dispensing error rate of 1.72%. Medco's own study found a dispensing error rate of 0.075% in its mail-order pharmacies.

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This website is maintained by Medco for use by Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers to understand their needs in selecting Medicare Part D plans. The site is not associated with, endorsed by, or authorized by the U.S Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This site contains basic information about Medicare Part D. If you would like more information about the Federal government's Medicare benefit, please visit the Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare located at www.medicare.gov.

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