Walgreens assists customers in making transition to Medicare Part D plans

DEERFIELD, Ill. Walgreens has stated that it will offer services to patients whose prescription drug coverage could be affected by enrolling in, or due to changes with, Medicare Part D.

Between now and Dec. 31, pharmacists at about 6,544 Walgreens locations are offering assistance to seniors to help look over their plans and reviews for changes in cost or coverage. After reviewing the list of medications each patient is taking, Walgreens pharmacists will generate a personal report that shows annual costs, monthly premiums and the options for brand-name or generic medications for each patient.

The pharmacists can also determine whether patients are eligible for Extra Help subsidies to pay for prescription drugs.

“We urge people not to assume their plans will remain the same for 2009,” Kermit Crawford, senior vice president of pharmacy at Walgreens said. “Many plans have made significant increases in premiums or changes to medications covered. Our report simplifies the decision-making process by providing information tailored for each individual in a way that makes it easy to compare options. … Walgreens also recommends that seniors who switch plans or those enrolling in Part D for the first time do so well before the Dec. 31 deadline in order to ensure processing is complete before they need to refill prescriptions in early January.”

For more information, or to generate a personal report, patients can visit www.walgreens.com/medicare.