Eyeworld

OPHTHALMOLOGY BUSINESS 74 January 2018 Mail-order pharmacies Yet another option that patients can use nowadays is a mail-order phar- macy or a mail-order medication service. Discount Med Direct, with locations in Florida, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, requires prescriptions and works with a network of phar- macies both in the U.S. and abroad to find prices that are 30% to 80% less expensive than retail, said Judy Vobroucek, owner of Discount Med Direct. The medications are then mailed to the customer's home. One way that Discount Med Direct cuts costs is by finding generic versions available internationally but not in the U.S. Although the compa- ny does not accept insurance, the savings still make the medications more affordable in many cases, she explained. Within the eye realm, Discount Med Direct fulfills a large number of prescriptions for glaucoma drops and cyclosporine, Ms. Vobroucek said. Dr. Negrin is happy to prescribe for mail-order services, especially for Medicare patients. She finds they often get a better price. "Mail-order pharmacies, where patients can get a 90-day supply sent to them, often do provide a significant cost savings to patients," Dr. Wang said. He doesn't have experience with out-of-the-country pharmacies but does worry about counterfeit medications or less repu- table sources from abroad. Dr. Myers has similar concerns. EW Editors' note: The sources have no financial interests related to their comments. Contact information Helfgott: nfarano@youreyes.org Myers: JMyers@willseye.org Negrin: asnreis@gmail.com Vobroucek: judyvobroucek@yahoo.com Wang: drwang@wangvisioninstitute.com "Our staff members, mainly the technicians, keep coupons and benefit information from pharma- ceutical companies and offer these to patients," Dr. Myers said. "Ad- ditionally, when medications are electronically prescribed, the tech- nicians access programs that help to identify insurance for that patient so that we can address issues before the patient gets to the pharmacy." That said, keeping up with that informa- tion takes a lot of time, he added. Websites dedicated to cost comparison Just like the old song says "you bet- ter shop around," the same applies to comparing prices for medications. "I always recommend that patients shop the prices. Pharmacy prices can vary enormously," Dr. Helfgott said. One tool that ophthalmolo- gists and their patients have found helpful is Goodrx.com, a website that compares prices for many drugs at pharmacies and provides related coupons. The website says that it gets the prices from published data, price lists, claims records, and phar- macy-provided information. Dr. Negrin also uses and has seen patients use apps that will help search for medication prices. Manufacturer-provided discounts It's always a good idea to see if there are coupon programs available for certain drops, as these can reduce costs significantly, Dr. Wang said. This option can potentially work both for patients who have private insurance and those who are paying out of pocket. There are also patient assistance programs from pharmaceutical companies for which some patients will qualify. Helping continued from page 72 " It is heartbreaking to talk with senior citizens and other patients with limited incomes and hear the choices that they have to make between food and medicine. " —Jonathan Myers, MD

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