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Costs to rise on 5 drugs through Tricare

The Defense Department has added five name-brand drugs recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration to its most expensive co-pay tier of prescription medications offered through Tricare.

As of Jan. 24, oral contraceptives Loestrin 24 Fe and Seasonique will move to “Tier 3,” which means they will cost $22 for a 30-day supply through Tricare’s mail order or retail pharmacy networks. As Tier 2 drugs, they cost $9 for a 30-day supply at network retail pharmacies or for a 90-day supply through the mail-order program.

On March 21, antifungal medication Vusion will move to Tier 3, and April 18, ADHD medications Focalin, Focalin XR and the Daytrana patch will also move to that highest-price tier.

A Defense Department spokesman said in each case, five or six alternative generic or cheaper medications will be available at Tier 1 or 2. Tier 1 medications cost $3 for a 30-day supply at pharmacies or $3 for a 90-day supply through Tricare’s mail-order system.

Focalin XR was approved in 2005 for those older than 6 as an alternative to Ritalin, while Daytrana was approved in 2006. Loestrin 24 Fe and Seasonique, both contraceptives that produces a shorter and lighter period, were also approved in 2006. And Vusion, a diaper ointment for treatment of a candidiasis yeast infection for infants 4 weeks old or older, also gained FDA approval in 2006.

The Defense Department’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, made up of doctors, pharmacists and Department of Veterans Affairs representatives, meets quarterly to review drugs used within the Tricare system for safety, effectiveness and clinical outcomes, as well as cost effectiveness.