CVS Caremark, US Airways tout success of Maintenance Choice

WOONSOCKET, R.I. CVS Caremark's Maintenance Choice program has equated to more consistency in maintenance medication refills for US Airways employees, the companies reported on Wednesday at a National Business Group on Health conference.

Maintenance Choice is a program that provides CVS Caremark PBM clients and their members the flexibility to select the most convenient way to receive maintenance medications. Regardless of whether members choose to receive their 90-day prescriptions via mail or in the store, they pay the typically lower mail co-pay, while the plan sponsor receives the typically lower mail rate.

"The Maintenance Choice program is a great fit for our organization," stated Pam Weier, director of benefits for US Airways. "Not only does this program allow the company to get the benefit of mail-order rates on 90-day prescriptions at a retail drug store, but, more importantly, it [also] provides a local venue for our members to pick up their medications at their convenience. Historically, members of our team who travel frequently were reluctant to use mail service for their prescriptions when their schedule didn't allow them to be home to receive it. Now that we have implemented Maintenance Choice, those same members have embraced the program and truly appreciate the flexibility and convenience of picking up their prescriptions at a local CVS/pharmacy."

According to data from January to May 2010, the percentage of US Airways members who were optimally adherent to medications for such chronic conditions as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol improved by as much as 18 percentage points.

CVS Caremark reported that as of the end of second quarter 2010, more than 525 clients, representing roughly 6.3 million lives, have enrolled in Maintenance Choice as an option to improve convenience, increase adherence and reduce costs for chronic medications.