TRICARE News Release
2010-04-12

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – With all of the details involved in moving to a new duty station, transferring prescription medication may not be on the top of the list for many beneficiaries. In fact, it may not even be on the list.

But for TRICARE beneficiaries who regularly take prescription medications, some planning ahead will allow them to quickly transfer their prescriptions to their new military treatment facility (MTF) pharmacy or other TRICARE pharmacy option.

First off, before they move, beneficiaries should get the longest medication supply possible – generally up to 90 days for most prescriptions at an MTF or through TRICARE Home Delivery or up to 30 days from the retail network pharmacy.

Not all medications are stocked at every MTF. Beneficiaries may also want to check the availability of their medication at their new MTF before they move. In many cases, the pharmacy and physician can work out a new treatment plan for the patient.

When the move is complete, if beneficiaries are going to use an MTF pharmacy, they should go there as soon as possible to transfer their prescriptions and remaining refills.

If a medication is not stocked at the new MTF, or an MTF is not nearby, beneficiaries have two more choices: TRICARE Home Delivery or retail network pharmacies. Neither option has a cost-share for active duty service members.

TRICARE Home Delivery is the least expensive option when not using a MTF pharmacy and beneficiaries can get up to a 90-day supply of most medications delivered directly to their home. This is especially encouraged for beneficiaries using long-term maintenance medications. After signing up for Home Delivery, beneficiaries can expect their prescriptions to arrive at U.S. postal addresses within 14 days. Call Express Scripts at 877-363-1433 to transfer existing prescription to TRICARE Home Delivery. Current users of TRICARE Home Delivery can call Express Scripts at 877-363-1303 to update their address once they move and have updated their address in DEERS.

Beneficiaries in the United States and U.S. territories can also have a prescription filled at a TRICARE retail network pharmacy. TRICARE beneficiaries can transfer remaining refills from most prescriptions filled at a MTF pharmacy to a retail network pharmacy. Go to www.express-scripts.com/tricare to find a nearby retail network pharmacy. It is helpful to have the information contained on the prescription bottle as well as the phone number to the MTF pharmacy. State laws vary regarding which prescriptions can and cannot be transferred.

Prescription costs for non-active duty TRICARE beneficiaries are based on the type of drug and where the prescription is being filled, with prescriptions filled at MTFs being free. TRICARE Home Delivery the least expensive option after the MTF pharmacy. For example, up to a 90-day supply of a generic drug through TRICARE Home Delivery has just a $3 copayment, while a brand-name drug has a $9 copayment. At a network pharmacy, the copayments are the same $3 for generic and $9 for brand-name, but for just one-third of the supply.

Go to www.tricare.mil/pharmacy for more information about filling and transferring prescriptions.

More News: Here

Sign Up for our monthly Newsletter Newsletter Archives