9.5.13 | Lab Staff
At the request of Congress last year, the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General undertook an audit of the TRICARE mail order pharmacy (TMOP) program to assess its cost-effectiveness and overall success. Recently released, the government’s final analysis was clear: TMOP was more affordable than retail pharmacies for the government and beneficiaries, it was safer than retail pharmacies, and it maintained a high level of beneficiary satisfaction.
Express Scripts administers the TMOP program for approximately 9.6 million TRICARE beneficiaries. We’re proud to serve the pharmacy needs of those who protect us every day and it’s an honor to help their families stay healthy. We do our job so that our men and women in uniform can focus on what’s most important.
Cost-Effectiveness: The DoD Inspector General found that the program saved 16.7% – nearly $67 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2012 – when comparing the amount the government spent on prescription drugs through mail order and what it would have cost at retail pharmacies.
Superior Safety: The Inspector General’s analysis found that, due to the automated high-volume filling at Express Scripts pharmacies, prescriptions filled through the TMOP program were 99.997% free of clinical errors, such as shipping the incorrect pharmaceuticals. In contrast, the report found that retail pharmacies on average were 98.5% error-free. Each prescription filled by Express Scripts’ automation encountered various control mechanisms – including verification by Express Scripts’ pharmacists – delivering a higher rate of accuracy and efficiency.
Beneficiary Satisfaction: In addition to the superior affordability and safety provided through the TMOP, the Inspector General found that the program achieved a beneficiary satisfaction rate of 96%.
We have developed a world-class capability to make the use of prescription drugs safer and more affordable and we’re pleased that the recent DoD Inspector General audit confirms what we see every day: home delivery through a mail order pharmacy is the safest, most cost-effective way to receive prescription drugs.
via The Benefits of TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy | Express Scripts Lab.
