Medicaid Program Distributes Chantix And Other Drugs At Cheap Rates To Help People Quit Smoking
December 28, 2006
In order to assist Wyoming residents in quitting the cravings for smoking, the state's Medicaid program has been granted $500,000 by the Legislature. The money granted by the legislature would so far help Medicaid clients to avail of quit smoking products such as nicotine patches and the anti-smoking drug Chantix at only the prescription co-pay which is less than $3.
According to Roxanne Homar, the state pharmacist for the Wyoming Department of Health, if the quit smoking products are over-the-counter products, they can be procured only after obtaining the physician's prescriptions for the same. He further revealed that 90-day supply of nicotine patches cost around $50 and the price of Chantix dosages for 90 days is tagged at $300.
According to a revelation, it is known that for Medicare to cover more than one course of therapy per patient, the additional dosages should be authorized by the health department's Office of Pharmacy Services. There are about 1,500 Wyoming Medicaid smokers who are expected to be benefited by this unique program. |
