The growth in the number of users of prescription drugs drives up the total cost of that type of care. People need to take prescriptions for longer periods. Medications are often one of the most effective tools physicians can use to manage chronic conditions or recovery from an acute episode of care.
Physicians have an increasing array of new medications available for use.
All new drugs enjoy patent protection, and corresponding higher prices, for 16 years or longer. Those are the drugs that are chosen for our formularies. This enables us to work with the manufacturers of those drugs to acquire favorable contracts and purchasing terms in exchange for strong volume. Our pharmacy management teams collaborate to share the costs of new technologies to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance customer convenience. Success stories These techniques have enabled us to achieve some very satisfying progress toward our goal of cost-effective drug management.