April 2019 Drug List Updates: Twenty-four (24) new generic drugs added to many Medicare Part D plan formularies.

As you may know, Medicare Part D prescription drug plans update their plan formularies (drug lists) throughout the plan year and the April 2019 Medicare Part D formulary updates included 42 new drugs, 16 of which are new generic drugs - with a total of 24 new generic equivalents (variations of manufacturer, drug-strength, and packaging).

Below is a full list of the new generics added to the 2019 Medicare Part D (PDP) and Medicare Advantage plan (MAPD) formularies:

Generic Drug Equivalent [Brand-Name Drug]	Number of PDP Formularies*	Number of MAPD Formularies*
HAILEY 24 FE 1 MG-20 MCG TABLET [Tarina Fe 1/20]	35	236
HYDROCORTISONE 10 MG TABLET [Hydrocortone]	62	353
HYDROCORTISONE 20 MG TABLET [Cortef]	57	348
HYDROCORTISONE 5 MG TABLET [Cortef]	57	348
LAMOTRIGINE 25 MG TABLET [Subvenite]	62	353
LEVALBUTEROL 0.31 MG/3 ML SOL VIAL-NEB [Xopenex Pediatric]	17	235
LEVALBUTEROL 0.63 MG/3 ML SOL VIAL-NEB [Xopenex]	17	235
LEVALBUTEROL 1.25 MG/3 ML SOL VIAL-NEB [Xopenex]	20	252
MESALAMINE 1,000 MG SUPP.RECT [Canasa]	47	258
METHYLPHENIDATE 10 MG/5 ML SOL Solution [Methylin]	38	282
METHYLPHENIDATE 5 MG/5 ML SOLN Solution [Methylin]	38	282
NITROFURANTOIN MONO-MCR 100 MG CAPSULE [Macrobid]	60	347
POTASSIUM CL 20 MEQ PACKET [Klor-Con]	9	89
PROGESTERONE 200 MG CAPSULE [Prometrium]	39	276
RIZATRIPTAN 10 MG TABLET [Maxalt]	62	339
RIZATRIPTAN 5 MG TABLET [Maxalt]	62	339
SILODOSIN 4 MG CAPSULE [Rapaflo]	19	180
SILODOSIN 8 MG CAPSULE [Rapaflo]	19	180
SIMVASTATIN 5 MG TABLET [Zocor]	62	353
SUMATRIPTAN 6 MG/0.5 ML SYRNG Syringe [Sumavel DosePro System]	43	247
TELMISARTAN 80 MG TABLET [Micardis]	51	314
TRI-ESTARYLLA TABLET [Trinessa]	52	300
VICODIN HP 10-300 MG TABLET [Xodol]	15	133

*The number of formularies counts the unique formularies that offer this medication. As a note, the same formulary can be used by one or many different Medicare Part D plans. The same formulary can be used by both PDP and MAPD plans. What Could the Addition of New Generic Drugs Mean to You?

You may be able to save money by switching from the brand-name drug to its generic equivalent – with your prescriber’s approval and a new prescription. Please note, you will need to look carefully at coverage costs as we have found that many 2019 generics are being offered on the same tier as their brand-name equivalent or the generics do not have a significantly lower retail price.
Your brand-name drug may no longer be available if a generic is now available. Based on past experience, you may find that many Medicare Part D plans discontinue coverage for the brand-name drug in the months following the introduction of the generic equivalent - or your plan may immediately drop the brand-name drug now that the generic is being introduced.

If you have received notice from your Medicare Part D plan that your brand-name medication will be dropped, you should speak with your prescriber to determine if you can take the generic equivalent or if you must continue taking the brand-name drug, you will need to ask your plan for a formulary exception to continue coverage for your brand-name drug.

You can click for a chart showing the trends in formulary coverage for some of the more popular Medicare drugs and their generic equivalents.

As a note, both our Formulary Browser (you can view all the drugs covered by a single Medicare prescription drug plan) and our the drug finder Drug Finder (you can view all the Medicare drug plans covering a single drug) have been updated with the April 2019 Medicare Part D formulary data.