EXPRESS SCRIPTS DOUBLING GENERIC DRUGS IN LOW-INCOME PROGRAM

Express Scripts plans to double the number of generic drugs it offers through Rx Outreach, a program that provides generic drugs to low-income patients at discounted prices.

The pharmacy benefit manager will offer 107 generic drugs through the program. Rx Outreach offers drugs to treat ongoing conditions like diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and depression, Express Scripts said. The program is available in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Through the program, patients pay a total of $20 or $30 for each 90-day prescription or refill that is filled through a mail-order pharmacy. The program is available to individuals and families with incomes of up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level -- $50,000 per year for a family of four and $24,500 per year for an individual. Patients may participate in the program even if they receive medications through another program or are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid.

"It should be noted that Express Scripts' Rx Outreach is the only [prescription assistance program] helping uninsured and underinsured Americans save money by offering only generic drugs," Express Scripts spokeswoman Rita Holmes-Bobo told FDAnews.

A list of the generic drugs available through the program can be viewed at: www.rxoutreach.com (http://www.rxoutreach.com).