June 2023 Drug List Updates: Fifteen (15) 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 June 2023 Medicare Part D formulary updates included Sixty-three (63) new drugs, thirty-nine (39) of which are generics - with a total of fifty-seven (57) new generic equivalents (variations of manufacturer, drug-strength, and packaging).

Of the thirty-nine (39) new generic medications, fifteen (15) are newly-introduced generic drugs. These new generic drugs include:

APRACLONIDINE HCL [Iopidine®],
DILTIAZEM LA [Cardizem LA®],
DOXYCYCLINE IR-DR [Oracea®],
LIDOCAINE VISCOUS [Xylocaine Viscous®],
LURASIDONE HCL [Latuda®],
METHYLPHENIDATE [RELEXXII®],
NALOCET [Primalev®],
NEO-POLYCIN EYE OINTMENT [Polymycin®],
NEO-POLYCIN HC EYE OINTMENT [Ocu-Cort®],
OFLOXACIN [Ocuflox®],
POLYCIN EYE OINTMENT [Polytracin®],
PREDNISOLONE [Prelone®],
CLINDACIN [Evoclin®],
TASIMELTEON [HETLIOZ®], and
TERIFLUNOMIDE [AUBAGIO®].

Please note that these new generic drugs are not available on all Medicare Part D (PDP) or Medicare Advantage plan (MAPD) formularies. You can review the chart below to see the (often limited) number of plan formularies that now include these drugs.

Generic Drug Equivalent [Brand-Name Drug]	Number of PDP Formularies*	Number of MAPD Formularies*
ACCUTANE 40 MG CAPSULE [ZENATANE]	52	355
ACETAMINOP-CODEINE 120-12 MG/5 SOLUTION	62	383
ACETIC ACID 2% EAR SOLUTION [VoSoL]	62	387
ALLOPURINOL 200 MG TABLET	0	6
APRACLONIDINE HCL 0.5% DROPS [Iopidine]	28	261
CALCIPOTRIENE-BETAMETH DP OINTMENT [Taclonex]	1	36
CLINDACIN 1% FOAM [Evoclin]	4	32
DILTIAZEM 24H ER (LA) 120 MG TABLET [Cardizem LA]	40	199
DILTIAZEM 24H ER (LA) 180 MG TABLET [Matzim LA]	42	222
DILTIAZEM 24H ER (LA) 240 MG TABLET [Matzim LA]	42	222
DILTIAZEM 24H ER (LA) 300 MG TABLET [Matzim LA]	42	222
DILTIAZEM 24H ER (LA) 360 MG TABLET [Matzim LA]	42	222
DILTIAZEM 24H ER (LA) 420 MG TABLET [Matzim LA]	43	215
DOXYCYCLINE IR-DR 40 MG CAPSULE [Oracea]	1	19
DRONABINOL 10 MG CAPSULE [Marinol]	62	391
DRONABINOL 2.5 MG CAPSULE [Marinol]	62	391
DRONABINOL 5 MG CAPSULE [Marinol]	62	391
ENDOCET 2.5-325 MG TABLET [Percocet]	62	351
FLUTICASONE-SALMETEROL 115-21 HFA AER AD [Advair HFA]	0	23
FLUTICASONE-SALMETEROL 230-21 HFA AER AD [Advair HFA]	0	23
FLUTICASONE-SALMETEROL 45-21 HFA AER AD [Advair HFA]	0	23
GENTAMICIN 0.3% EYE DROPS [Ocu-Mycin]	62	391
HYDROCORTISON-ACETIC ACID SOLUTION DROPS [VoSoL HC]	48	293
HYDROCORTISONE 5 MG TABLET [Cortef]	62	391
LAMOTRIGINE ODT KIT (BLUE) TB RD DSPK [Lamictal ODT]	9	126
LAMOTRIGINE ODT KIT (GREEN) TB RD DSPK [Lamictal ODT]	9	124
LIDOCAINE 2% VISCOUS SOLUTION [Xylocaine Viscous]	60	389
LIDOCAINE-PRILOCAINE CREAM (G) [SOLUPICC]	62	389
LINEZOLID 100 MG/5 ML ORAL SUSPENSION [Zyvox Powder]	62	375
LURASIDONE HCL 120 MG TABLET [Latuda]	59	387
LURASIDONE HCL 20 MG TABLET [Latuda]	59	387
LURASIDONE HCL 40 MG TABLET [Latuda]	59	387
LURASIDONE HCL 60 MG TABLET [Latuda]	59	387
LURASIDONE HCL 80 MG TABLET [Latuda]	59	387
MEMANTINE HCL ER 14 MG CAPSULE SPR 24 [Namenda XR]	50	369
MEMANTINE HCL ER 21 MG CAPSULE SPR 24 [Namenda XR]	50	369
MEMANTINE HCL ER 7 MG CAPSULE SPR 24 [Namenda XR]	50	371
METHYLPHENIDATE ER 45 MG TABLET ER 24 [RELEXXII]	0	21
METHYLPHENIDATE ER 63 MG TABLET ER 24 [RELEXXII]	0	21
NALOCET 2.5-300 MG TABLET [Primalev]	0	2
NALOXONE HCL 4 MG NASAL SPRAY [Narcan]	60	387
NEO-POLYCIN EYE OINTMENT [Polymycin]	57	338
NEO-POLYCIN HC EYE OINTMENT [Ocu-Cort]	53	326
OFLOXACIN 0.3% EYE DROPS [Ocuflox]	61	391
POLYCIN EYE OINTMENT [Polytracin]	58	327
POTASSIUM CL 10% (20 MEQ/15ML) LIQUID [Kay Ciel]	62	391
POTASSIUM CL 20% (40 MEQ/15ML) LIQUID [Kaon-CL]	59	386
PREDNISOLONE 15 MG/5 ML SOLUTION [Prelone]	62	391
PROLATE 10 MG-300 MG/5 ML SOLUTION	0	4
PYRAZINAMIDE 500 MG TABLET	62	391
TASIMELTEON 20 MG CAPSULE [HETLIOZ]	52	328
TEMAZEPAM 22.5 MG CAPSULE [Restoril]	4	80
TEMAZEPAM 7.5 MG CAPSULE [Restoril]	18	170
TERBUTALINE SULFATE 2.5 MG TABLET [Brethine]	47	348
TERIFLUNOMIDE 14 MG TABLET [AUBAGIO]	16	224
TERIFLUNOMIDE 7 MG TABLET [AUBAGIO]	16	224
TIMOLOL MALEATE 0.5% EYE DROP DROPERETTE [Timoptic Ocumeter]	4	68

*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 2023 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 June 2023 Medicare Part D formulary data.