 Over $937 Million in TPC Meds!
By the end of 2010, users of The Pharmacy Connection software had helped uninsured patients obtain more than $937 million (average wholesale price) in free medications from the PAPs which represents a cumulative total of 2.9 million requests for 211,475 uninsured and underserved patients since the software was created.
In addition to the patients assisted with medications, over 6,700 patients have received over 24,000 diabetic supplies valued at over $1.1 million! Keep up the good work! |
FREE Medication Schedule for Patients
It's easy at 1, 2, 3! Register at www.mymedschedule.com. Enter your email address and create a login & password.
1) Enter the medication(s) you take.
2) Select the time of day and quantity you take. You can even add a refill reminder!
3) Review the schedule, print and save! You can print standard size, large font, wallet size and by time of day.
You can even print a weekly checklist to make sure you take your medications each day. |
SPRING TPC ROUNDTABLES
Save the Dates! The TPC Roundtables are just around the corner! We invite all TPC related staff to attend. This is a great opporunity to network with other Medication Assistance Program caseworkers, learn about the changes in Health Reform, discuss TPC tricks of the trade and more!
April 14-Abingdon
April 15-Roanoke
May 3-Williamsburg
May 6-Richmond
May 11-Oakton
For more information including times, locations and registration, click here. We hope to see you at one of these sessions! |
New Poverty Guidelines Released
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# in Household |
Federal Poverty Level | |
1 |
$10,890 | |
2 |
$14,710 | |
3 |
$18,530 | |
4 |
$22,350 | |
5 |
$26,170 | |
6 |
$29,990 | |
7 |
$33,810 | |
8 |
$37,630 |
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Upcoming TPC Trainings
Beginner
4/6-Online
5/24-Fairfax
6/7-Richmond
Intermediate/Advanced
4/6-Online
5/17-Online
6/9-Online
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QUARTERLY DATA TRANSFER
The next quarterly report is due April 14th! Remember you have between the 1st and the 14th of April to send your data before the system locks you out.
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Quick Links...
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Welcome to The Pharmacy Connection's quarterly e-newsletter! We've got some great information to share in this issue. |
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Medicare Doughnut Hole is Shrinking
As a result of the Affordable Care Act, seniors who hit the doughnut hole this year will receive substantial discounts, as much as $1,800, on brandname and generic medications. Already more than 84,000 Virginians have received a rebate. Over the next several years, the discounts will increase and eventually the gap will close.
Beneficiaries with a Medicare drug plan are responsible for 25% of the cost of their prescriptions, while the drug plan picks up the remaining 75% of the cost. This year, seniors will receive a 50% discount on brandname drugs and a 7% discount on generic drugs. The discount applies to all applicable Part D covered drugs on the plan's formulary, and should hopefully help people continue to fill their prescriptions.
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Important PAP Updates
RECALL
In mid-February, a voluntary recall of generic warfarin tablets was issued for mislabeled bottles. Two days later, the recall was expanded to include 6 other drug products prepared on the same packaging line.
 
Upsher-Smith Laboratories, added to the recall 28 lots of 16 different products packaged from May 17, 2010, to November 17, 2010, in addition to the NDC# 0832-1214-00 lot with an expiration date of September 2012. Products in the recall include:
- Amantadine 100 mg, 100-count bottles
- Amlodipine 5 mg, 90-count bottles (Available thru RxOutreach & Xubex)
- Androxy 10 mg, 100-count bottles
- Baclofen 10 mg, 90-count bottles (Available thru RxOutreach & Xubex)
- Bethanechol 5, 10, and 25 mg, 100-count bottles
- Jantoven 1, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.5, and 10 mg, 100-count bottles (Available thru Xubex)
- Oxybutynin 5 mg, 100-count (Available thru RxOutreach & Xubex)
If you have any of these products, you should check
with your health care provider regarding the appropriateness of continued therapy prior to making any changes. Questions regarding the recalled products can be directed to 1-877-492-4791.
Abbott has a new program called FreeStylePromise. The program is open to anyone age 18 years and older and residing in the US. Patients can receive free meters, batteries, discounts on test strips, co-pay savings and access to certified diabetes educators 24/7. Enrollment can be completed online or via phone and a membership email will arrive within a few days. This can be printed and used immediately along with a prescription from your health care provider and presented at your local pharmacy to begin savings! You will be mailed a FreeStyle Promise Program membership card within 2-3 weeks.
To get your free meter, bring your membership email/card and prescription for a FreeStyle LiteŽ, FreeStyle Freedom LiteŽ or Precision XtraŽ meter to your pharmacy. Diabetes test strips costs can vary from state to state and pharmacy. What are the savings?
- A box of 50 strips average retail price = $64.99.
- Savings w/FreeStylePromise ~$25. You pay $39.99.
- A box of 100 strips average retail price = $120.99.
- Savings w/FreeStyle Promise ~$50. You pay $70.99.
Contact the program at 1-866-246-2683 for more information.
Pfizer is now offering Lipitor for $4 with a Lipitor Co-Pay Card for patients that need assistance. You can enroll online here or call 1-888-LIPITOR (1-888-547-4867) and the card will be mailed to you within 4-6 weeks.
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 ASK JULIET & LISA
Some of the most frequently asked technical support questions...
How is the Average Retail Price (ARP) calculated in TPC?
A: A formula is used to calculate the ARP. ARP is 15% above the Average Wholesale Price (AWP).
I just updated TPC in January to Version 7002. What "bugs" were fixed in Version 7003, which was released in February?
A: Version 7002 included over 30 new enhancements. Some of the new features include: certification on Windows 7 32-bit platform, ability to add Patient Program ID#s, ability to do call in refills for supplies, automatic update capability, scheduled backup capability and much more! To view the full list of new features, visit the VHCF FTP Site Enhancements folder. Version 7003 made the following improvements to Version 7002:
- The date on the prescription had been overwritten when printed. FIXED!
- When printing multiple 'Check on Program Form Signature' messages, and choosing defer, the messages were not removed from the message center. FIXED!
- The Request Review Report did not sort by date. FIXED!
How does the Auto Update Feature work?
A: TPC recently added the capability to perform automatic updates when a new release version of TPC becomes available. Staff will notify you when you should check for an update. To check for an update, it is recommended to begin at the Server (main computer) go to Utilities, Select Check for Updates. Select the update in the order of appearance if multiple updates are visible. Click Update Now. The update will automatically be downloaded and applied. TPC will then quit and when you re-open the program, your system will be updated. This will need to be performed on all client machines as well if applicable.
Is there a way to view & print a list of inactive patients in TPC?
A: Yes. This can be done using the Quick Reports capability. If you are familiar with Microsoft Access, you can generate queries by using exported TPC tables to generate this list. Instructions for How to Run Reports within TPC SQL via Microsoft Access are posted on the VHCF FTP site in the folder called Custom Reports. Contact TPC staff if you need assistance.
Will TPC run on a Windows 7 Professional, 64-bit machine?
A: Not yet. Whenever new technologies (operating systems, etc.) become available, TPC developers investigate their impact on TPC and the need to make changes to accommodate them. Often, this takes time, as the new technologies evolve. (You may recall for example that Microsoft issued several service packs for Windows Vista before moving on to something else.) Plans to certify Windows 7 Professional 64 bit are in the works for the next enhancement version. However, there is a temporary solution that you may try if you have a machine of this type. Windows 7 has a feature called "Windows XP mode" that allows programs to run as 32-bit Windows XP applications. *Note: This does not work with Windows 7 Home Edition.
Other questions? Check out the Frequently Asked Question section under the Help Menu in TPC. Still can't find the answer you are looking for? Contact Juliet or Lisa. |
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Thank you for reading the Spring edition of Rx Connect! We look forward to seeing you at the Roundtables!
Sincerely,
TPC Staff |
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