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Sunday, August 18, 2002Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois says it is only trying to counter the marketing muscle of drug companies, which spend billions of dollars on splashy television ads that tout their latest wonder drug and employ thousands of sales representatives to court physicians. "We don't want to have all of these commercials driving what everybody is taking," said Brad Buxton, Illinois Blues senior vice president of health-care management. "We are simply trying to encourage what is already a healthy relationship between a pharmacist and the patient. If there is a generic drug that is as good as a brand-name, patients could save $40 to $60 a prescription." Health insurers have long touted the pocketbook benefits of choosing generic drugs, and charging consumers higher co-pays for brand-name drugs is one way they encourage that. Targeting pharmacies is a new approach and one that will be closely watched, especially by drugmakers, which say the plan puts patients' health at risk. It will be up to the pharmacist to tell the consumer that he or she is being paid a bonus if a generic is chosen. posted by Sydney on 8/18/2002 07:37:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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