Oklahoma Pharmacy Connection program report.

              OKDHS - Pharmacy Connection Council 2010 Report to the Governor
file:////maindc/users/gphillips/PDFs%2053/pcc2010govreport.htm[7/27/2011 3:23:33 PM]
Skip to main content
Oklahoma Department of Human Services Stronger Families Grow Brighter Futures
OKDHS Hotlines Document Readers
Careers Calendar Contact Us Newsroom
Programs and Services County Offices Divisions and Offices Online Services Library
OKDHS Home > Programs/Services > Aging > Pharmacy Connection Council > 2010 Report to the Governor
2010 Report to the Governor
Report to:
Governor, State of Oklahoma
Speaker of the House of Representatives
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Director, Oklahoma Department of Human Services
From: The Oklahoma Pharmacy Connection Council
Proposed reporting date: March 23, 2011
Following is the 2010 report of the Oklahoma Pharmacy Connection Council, as set out in Title 56 O.S. Section 1010.21. The Council filed the 2009 annual
report dated April 12, 2010.
The purpose of the Council is to improve access to prescription drugs for citizens who have no health insurance, inadequate health insurance, or limited
resources for the purchase of medically necessary prescription drugs.
HB 1853, the Rx for Oklahoma Act, was passed by the Oklahoma State Legislature in 2005. Rx for Oklahoma assists uninsured or underinsured Oklahomans
in obtaining medications through pharmaceutical assistance plans. The legislature appropriated funding in the amount of one million dollars to establish the
Rx for Oklahoma Program in 2005. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce (ODOC) administers the program and disburses the funds through Oklahoma
Community Action Agencies to provide the service on a statewide basis. The Rx for Oklahoma program has a statewide toll free number to ease access to
assistance that took more than 7,000 calls in state fiscal year 2010. The Rx for Oklahoma program coordinates with the Department of Human Services
(OKDHS) Aging Services Division, Oklahoma’s Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), the Senior Health Insurance Counseling Program (SHIP) in the Oklahoma
Insurance Department, and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) through the Oklahoma Pharmacy Connection Council.
Rx For Oklahoma (Oklahoma Department of Commerce)
More than 32,000 clients have been impacted with free and discounted medication assistance that provided a better quality of living for individuals and
families since December 2005.
Approximately 33 percent of clients assisted maintain prescribed medication schedule, 44% of clients assisted utilize savings to meet other essential
needs, and 23 percent improve their overall health.
2010 Performance Quick Facts:
Approximately 3,100 new clients received free or discounted medications
Eligible Oklahomans received an estimated 21,600 prescriptions
$6.8 million in estimated savings
Estimated savings per client $2,200 / annually
Each client was assisted with approximately seven (7) prescriptions per month
Area Agencies on Aging and the Older Americans Act Network
Oklahoma’s Area Agencies on Aging assisted more than 12,000 seniors and persons with disabilities with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage
enrollment, extra help with Medicare deductibles and co- pays, assistance with finding additional help with medication costs and other supportive
services. The 11 Area Agencies on Aging provide Oklahomans information and assistance services and reached more than 20,000 persons around the
state through education and outreach.
Senior Health Insurance Counseling Program (SHIP) (Oklahoma Insurance Department)
SHIP and the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) assisted 14,661 clients in 2010. More than 16,800 Oklahomans attended presentations about the program,
and almost 24,000 were reached through health fairs. The majority of the clients were between 65 and 74 years old. Disabled beneficiaries numbered
more than 1,900, and 2,658 persons receiving counseling were eligible for low-income assistance. The Senior Medicare Patrol, a program targeted on
Medicare fraud, waste and abuse, reached 8,801 people at group education events and provided one-on-one counseling sessions with or on behalf of
beneficiaries.
Oklahoma Rx Discount Drug Card Program (Oklahoma Health Care Authority)
The Oklahoma Rx Discount card was a prescription discount card program created by the state of Oklahoma to provide discounts on prescription drugs
for residents of Oklahoma. The program, overseen by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA), ended Sept. 2010. The program provided 10,779
discounted prescriptions from Jan.-Sept. 2010 and enrolled 613 new Oklahomans. Yearly cost savings over retail was about $367,934, which included
about $20,817 on brand names and $347,117 on generic drugs.
OHCA is now coordinating a new program through CVS Caremark which offers discounts at many Oklahoma pharmacies and is free to join. It is
available at no cost to the member or the state at http://www.rxsavingsplus.com/ (Link opens in new window).
Next Steps and Future Direction for the Council
Communicate information to government officials and advocacy groups.
Serve as a resource for pharmaceutical benefit issues.
OKDHS - Pharmacy Connection Council 2010 Report to the Governor
file:////maindc/users/gphillips/PDFs%2053/pcc2010govreport.htm[7/27/2011 3:23:33 PM]
Coordinate resources with Rx for Oklahoma and other agencies to increase awareness of legal discount medication programs available to all
Oklahomans.
Continue to review and consider taking a position on pending legislation relating to prescription access and affordability for all Oklahomans.
The Rx for Oklahoma program, including information on the Oklahoma Pharmacy Connection Council, is on the OKDHS website as a link. The State
statute requires posting of this report on the OKDHS website as follows: http://www.OKDHS.org. The Council Co-chairs also requested members to
post the report on their organizations’ web pages.
Respectfully submitted by:
Mary B. Buckner, DPh, Council Co-Chair, OKDHS
Justin Wilson, PharmD, Council Co-chair, OPHA
Jane Garner, Staff Liaison, OKDHS Aging Services Division
Last Updated: 4/21/2011
Oklahoma Department of Human Services
Street address: Sequoyah Memorial Office Building, 2400 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Mailing address: P.O. Box 25352, Oklahoma City, OK 73125
(405) 521-3646
Help | Web site Policies | Feedback | Accessibility