The health plans listed here may have changed the prescription drugs included on their formulary list. Make sure you contact the health plans you are interested in and verify if they are still making the listed drugs available to their health plan members. A generic drug is one that is equivalent to a brand-name product. Once the patent on a pharmaceutical drug expires, any drug company can manufacture and dispense the drug under its generic chemical name. Patents prohibit other companies from making the same drug for a period of time so that the pharmaceutical company that developed the drug can recoup its research costs.
Generic drugs are usually less expensive than branded products.
Newly developed drugs may only be available under a brand name. This is due to the fact that drug companies typically hold patents on drugs. Some HMOs do allow for exceptions to be made to their formulary based on your doctor's recommendation and notation of DAW on your prescription. All Rights Reserved.