label Prescription Drugs This plan covers off label prescription drugs for cancer or disabling or life-threatening chronic disease if the prescription drug is recognized as a treatment for cancer or disabling or life-threatening chronic disease in accepted medical literature, in accordance with R.I. General Law § 27-55-1.
Prescription Drugs This plan covers prescription drugs and diabetic equipment or supplies. When they are purchased from a pharmacy, prescription drugs and diabetic equipment or supplies are covered as a pharmacy benefit. In most cases, when the prescription drug requires administration by a provider other than a pharmacist (or the FDA approved recommendation is administration by a provider other than a pharmacist), the prescription drug is covered as a medical benefit referred to as “medical prescription drugs”. See subsection B: Medical Benefits - Prescription Drugs Administered by a Provider (other than a pharmacist) below for further information. Please see Pharmacy Benefits subsection A and Medical Benefits subsection B below for information about how these prescription drugs are covered. Prescription drugs and diabetic equipment or supplies are covered when dispensed using the following guidelines: • the prescription must be medically necessary, consistent with the physician’s diagnosis, ordered by a physician whose license allows him or her to order it, filled at a pharmacy whose license allows such a prescription to be filled, and filled according to state and federal laws; • the prescription must consist of legend drugs that require a physician’s prescription under law, or compound medications made up of at least one legend drug requiring a physician’s prescription under law; • the prescription must be dispensed at the proper place of service as determined by our Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. For example, certain prescription drugs may only be covered when obtained from a specialty pharmacy; and • the prescription is limited to the quantities authorized by your physician not to exceed the quantity listed in the Summary of Pharmacy Benefits.
Prescription Drug Quantity Limits We limit the quantity of certain prescription drugs that you can get at one time for safety, cost-effectiveness and medical appropriateness reasons. Our clinical criteria for quantity limits are subject to our periodic review and modification. Quantity limits may restrict: • the amount of pills dispensed per thirty (30) day period; • the number of prescriptions ordered in a specified time period; or • the number of prescriptions ordered by a provider, or multiple providers. Our formulary indicates which prescription drugs have a quantity limit. Prescription drugs and diabetic equipment or supplies can be bought from the following types of pharmacies: • Retail pharmacies. These dispense prescription drugs and diabetic equipment or supplies. • Mail order pharmacies. These dispense maintenance and non-maintenance prescription drugs and diabetic equipment or supplies. • Specialty pharmacies. These dispense specialty prescription drugs, defined as such on our formulary. For information about our network retail, mail order, and specialty pharmacies, visit our website or call our Customer Service Department.
Prescription Drug Plan Retail and mail order prescription drug copays for bargaining unit employees shall be as follows:
Designated Prescription Drug Prescribers and Pharmacies We may limit your selection of a pharmacy to a single pharmacy location and/or a single prescribing provider or practice. Those members subject to this designation include, but are not limited to, members that have a history of: • being prescribed prescription drugs by multiple providers; • having prescriptions drugs filled at multiple pharmacies; • being prescribed certain long-acting opioids and other controlled substances, either in combination or separately, that suggests a need for monitoring due to: o quantities dispensed; o daily dosage range; or o the duration of therapy exceeds reasonable and established thresholds.
