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  • Pharmacy Benefits

Pharmacy Benefits

Express Scripts SaveOnSP Program

Beginning January 1, 2022, Express Scripts, our pharmacy vendor, has partnered with SaveOnSP to offer a prescription drug program designed to reduce copays for certain specialty medications. Through this new program, you may be eligible to receive your specialty medications free of charge. If your medication is included on the Duke 2022 SaveOnSP Drug List, Express Scripts will be reaching out to enroll you and your eligible family members in this program. It will be important that you enroll quickly so that you may enjoy a $0 copay for these medications in 2022. You will receive a letter from Express Scripts mailed to your home address on file that will include instructions on how to enroll.

Access Your Pharmacy Benefits

Quick Glance

You can readily view our drug formulary, price a medication, and locate a network pharmacy on the pharmacy benefits overview website.

Need More Details?

Download your pharmacy ID card, view your prescription history, check the status of your mail order prescriptions and more by logging into your Express Scripts account or call 1-800-717-6575. A mobile app is also available in the Apple and Google Play app stores.

Duke Pharmacy Locations

Medical plan participants have the option of purchasing long-term maintenance medications (90-day supply) at participating on-site Duke Pharmacies under the same guidelines as Express Scripts Mail Order.

  • Duke Outpatient Pharmacy
  • Children's Health Center (CHC) Retail Pharmacy
  • Campus Center Pharmacy at the Student Wellness Center
  • Duke Raleigh Hospital Plaza Pharmacy
  • Duke Specialty Pharmacy at the Cancer Center
  • Duke Regional Hospital Outpatient Pharmacy
  • Duke North Pavilion Retail Pharmacy

Express Scripts, a national pharmacy benefit manager, provides pharmacy benefits for all four medical plans. Co-pays and deductibles vary depending on the type of medicine prescribed (generic, brand or non-formulary), the length of the prescription, and whether you purchase at a retail pharmacy, through the Express Scripts mail order pharmacy, or through participating on-site Duke Pharmacies (listed in the sidebar to the right).

  • Enhanced Contraceptive Coverage
  • Co-Pay & Deductible at Retail Pharmacies
  • Co-Pay at Express Scripts Mail Order Pharmacy or Duke Pharmacies
  • Covered Drugs (including specialty drugs)

At-home COVID-19 Test Kits

At-home COVID-19 test kits are covered under your Express Scripts pharmacy benefit when an approved test kit is purchased. Express Scripts members may receive up to 8 FDA-approved tests every 30 days at no charge when these tests are purchased at a participating retail pharmacy or ordered through Express Scripts' mail order benefit. When you purchase approved test kits at a retail location, present your Express Scripts pharmacy ID card at the pharmacy counter in order to have the kits covered through insurance. If you purchased test kits on or after January 15, 2022, you may submit your itemized pharmacy receipt to Express Scripts by using the Pharmacy Claim Form and the kits will be processed for reimbursement. Contact Express Scripts at (800) 717-6575 for assistance in submitting claims or using the mail order feature. At-home test kits that were purchased using funds from your HealthEquity Health Care Reimbursement Account are ineligible for reimbursement.

Individuals may also order FDA-approved at-home COVID-19 test kits through the site www.COVIDTESTS.gov and search for vaccine location sites by zip code here.

Enhanced Contraceptive Coverage

The co-payment will be waived for most contraceptive medications under all of Duke's medical plans. A listing of medications, implants, and IUDs is available here (this listing is subject to change).

Co-pay & Deductible at Retail Pharmacies (up to 34-day supply)*

An annual $100 deductible per person applies to short-term brand and non-formulary prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies. This deductible means each person covered by the medical plan must satisfy the $100 deductible for brand and non-formulary drugs purchased at a retail pharmacy before the plan begins to pay benefits under a co-pay structure. There is no deductible for generic drugs (except for Duke Basic*).

The retail co-pay structure for short-term medications and controlled substances is listed below:

  • Generic – $15 or cost of the drug if less than $15 (no deductible)*
  • Brand – $50 (after meeting annual $100 deductible per person)
  • Non-formulary – $70 (after meeting annual $100 deductible per person)

After your third purchase of the same medication, your prescription is considered to be a long-term medication and you will pay a higher cost if you continue to purchase it at a retail pharmacy (controlled substances and compounded drugs are exempt). Specifically, you will pay 50% of the total cost of the prescription, subject to a minimum and maximum. The minimum is $15 (or cost of drug if less) for generic; $70 for brand; and $85 for non-formulary drugs. The maximum is $30 for generic; $165 for brand; and $180 for non-formulary drugs.

To avoid paying more for your long-term medications, fill 90-day prescriptions through the Express Scripts Mail Order Pharmacy or participating on-site Duke Pharmacies (see sidebar for links with detailed location and hours information). Reasons to consider using the mail order pharmacy or participating on-site Duke Pharmacies for long-term medications include reduced co-pays and a waiving of the $100 deductible for all plans except Duke Basic (see chart below for details).

Injectable fertility drugs are not reimbursed according to our standard pharmacy benefit, nor are they covered under all of the plans. Only those plans covering infertility services include coverage of these drugs. More information is available here.

Additional information about Duke's pharmacy benefits such as brand-name drugs on the Express Scripts formulary (a list of approved drugs) and frequently asked questions, is available here.

*Participants in the Duke Basic medical plan have an annual $100 deductible for all prescription drugs (except for certain contraceptive drugs) and are required to use the mail order program or participating on-site Duke Pharmacies after the third purchase of a long-term medication.

Co-pay at Express Scripts Mail Order Pharmacy or Participating On-Site Duke Pharmacies (90-day supply)

You will save time and money by filling your recurring, long-term medications through the mail order program or participating on-site Duke Pharmacies. Reasons to consider using the mail order pharmacy or participating on-site Duke Pharmacies for long-term medications include reduced co-pays and a waiving of the $100 deductible for all plans except Duke Basic (see chart below for details). Your prescription must be written for a 90-day supply because a prescription for less than 90 days will still be charged a 90-day co-payment.

  At a participating retail pharmacy Through the Express Scripts Mail Order Pharmacy or Participating on-site Duke Pharmacies
  Up to a 34-day supply 90-day supply
  First three purchases of any medication After the third purchase of a long-term medication Anytime
Generic
No deductible except for participants covered by Duke Basic.
$15
(or cost of drug if less)
50%*
Cost of drug to max. $30
$25
(or cost of drug if less)
Brand
Annual $100 per person retail deductible applies. No deductible for 90-day supply through mail order or Duke Pharmacies except for Duke Basic participant.
$50 50%*
Min. $70, Max. $165
$130
Non-formulary
Annual $100 per person retail deductible applies. No deductible for 90-day supply through mail order or Duke Pharmacies except for Duke Basic participant.
$70 50%*
Min. $85, Max. $180
$180

Duke Basic participants have a $100 annual deductible per person for all prescriptions (except for certain contraceptive drugs) and are required to use mail order or Duke Pharmacies for long-term medications.

*The co-payment (50% of the total cost of the medication) will also be subject to the following minimum and maximum co-payments. The minimum is $15 (or cost of drug if less) for generic; $70 for brand; and $85 for non-formulary drugs. The maximum is $30 for generic, $165 for brand, and $180 for non-formulary drugs. This does not apply to Duke Basic participants, because they are required to use mail order or Duke Pharmacies for long-term medications.

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Human Resources

Duke Human Resources
705 Broad St. Box 90496
Durham, NC 27705
Phone: (919) 684-5600
Have questions?

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