FALLS CHURCH, Va. –
Are you regularly filling a prescription for a medical condition? If so, choosing the right pharmacy option can save you a great deal of time and money. For many TRICARE beneficiaries, the cheapest, most convenient option is
TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery.
“Home delivery is a smart option for people who take maintenance drugs,” said Lt. Col. Melissa Yates, a pharmacist with the Pharmacy Operations Division at the Defense Health Agency. “Maintenance medications are drugs you take regularly for chronic conditions, like high blood pressure. Other short-term use drugs should be obtained from a military or retail network pharmacy. This way, you can begin therapy as soon as possible.”
Here are some reasons why you may want to think about switching to home delivery.
Home delivery is safe and reliable
TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery will ship to any address in the U.S. or U.S. territories, including APO/FPO addresses.
Express Scripts, the TRICARE pharmacy contractor, ships millions of prescriptions each year with greater than 99.99% accuracy. Your prescription will arrive in tamper-evident, weatherproof packages.
If you live outside the U.S. or U.S. territories, you can also use home delivery. However, you must have an APO or FPO address, or be assigned to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Home delivery isn’t an option in Germany, so you must use a military pharmacy or host nation (overseas) pharmacy to fill your prescriptions.
You can track the status of your order through the
Express Scripts mobile app or by logging in to the
Express Scripts website. The “Recent Order Status” screen will show you all about your prescription. You can find out when Express Scripts shipped the order or if there are delays.
You can even use home delivery when you’re
traveling. Update your address with Express Scripts to have your prescriptions sent to the address where you’ll be staying. Remember to allow a few days for shipping. Also, be sure to update your address again when you return home.
Home delivery can save you money
Home delivery is the least expensive TRICARE pharmacy option after
military pharmacies. Standard shipping is free. Home delivery also offers up to a 90-day supply for a single copayment. At
retail network pharmacies, it costs three copayments to get a 90-day supply.
As outlined in the
TRICARE Pharmacy Program Handbook, all beneficiaries in the U.S. except active duty service members must get
certain maintenance drugs filled through home delivery or at a military pharmacy. If you fill these maintenance drugs at a retail pharmacy, the pharmacy will only fill your prescription twice at the TRICARE copayment rate. After that, you’ll pay 100% of the cost. Want to learn more about your pharmacy costs? Check the online
compare costs tool.
Pharmacists are always available to help
Have questions about your prescription? At Express Scripts, you have access to a team of pharmacists who are available 24/7 through your
online account or the Express Scripts
mobile app. These pharmacists specialize in different diseases, such as diabetes and cancer. They can answer your questions about possible side effects, dosages, and more.
Refills can be automatic
Would you like Express Scripts to automatically refill your prescription? You can enroll or disenroll eligible prescriptions at any time. Express Scripts will ask you to provide your consent to continue receiving
automatic refills.
Getting started with home delivery is easy
There are many ways to switch your prescription to home delivery. Some of your options include:
- Online: Register or log in to your account on the Express Scripts website.
- e-Prescribe: Ask your doctor to submit your prescription electronically.
- Military pharmacy: Ask your military pharmacist to transfer your prescription to home delivery.
- Mobile app: If you have an existing prescription at a retail or military pharmacy, you can transfer it to home delivery using the Express Scripts mobile app. You can download the app for Android or Apple phones.
- Phone: Call Express Scripts at 1-877-363-1303. Make sure to have your prescription bottle ready.
You should try to have a 30-day supply of medication on hand before your first home delivery order.
Do you have
other health insurance (OHI)? Examples of OHI are Medicare Part D or private insurance through your employer. If you have OHI with a prescription plan, you can use home delivery if:
- Your OHI pharmacy benefits are also administered by Express Scripts
- Your OHI doesn’t cover pharmacy benefits
- Your OHI doesn’t cover your prescription drug
- You’ve met your OHI’s benefit cap
If you’re filling a prescription drug regularly, see if you can have it delivered right to your door with
home delivery. To learn more about your pharmacy coverage, check out the
TRICARE Pharmacy Program Handbook and
TRICARE Pharmacy Program Overview.