What is Step Therapy?
Part D Prescription providers require doctors to prescribe lessexpensive medications within a class of drugs when available for a trial period of up to 130 days before one can try the more expensive medication. Review some of the more common examples of medications listed below that require Step therapy:
Brand drugs: Avalide, Avapro Diovan HCT and Diovan!
Step therapy alternative:Hyzaar generic called Losartan, or Losartan-HCTZ
Brand drugs: Cymbalta, Pristiq
Step therapy alternative: Fluoxetine, Sertraline, citalopram, fluvoxamine, paroxetine
Brand drugs: Boniva
Step therapy alternative: Alendronate sodium
Brand drugs: Celebrex
Step therapy alternatives: ibuprofen, piroxicam, naproxen, diclofenac potassium, (there are about 8 more)
Brand drugs: Crestor, Vytorin
Step therapy alternatives: lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin
Brand drugs: Lyrica
Step therapy alternatives: gabapentin
Brand drugs: Janumet, Januvia, Onglyza
Step therapy alternatives: chlorpropamide, glimepiride, glipizide, glyburide, tolazamide, meformin, glyburide-metformin, glipizide metformin.. there are more see your doctor.
Brand drugs: Zetia
Step therapy alternatives: lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin
Brand drugs: Singulair
Step therapy alternatives: fexofenadine, and fluticasone, flunisolide,
This is not a complete list of Brand name drugs, but a summary ofthe more common ones used by many of our Medicare Coach members. Please see your doctor to discuss alternatives if you are taking a brand name medication prior to joining Medicare, or if you are already a Medicare beneficiary, review step therapy alternatives with your doctor.
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