May 2023 Medicare Drug List Updates: Thirty-two (32) medications added to the 2023 Medicare Part D Drug plan formularies.

The May 2023 Medicare Part D prescription drug plan formulary (drug list) data is now online and included in our Formulary Browser and the drug finder Drug Finder.

The May formulary updates include the addition of 49 new National Drug Codes (NDCs), representing 32 different prescription drugs, many with multiple strengths.

The formulary updates impact both stand-alone Medicare Part D plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage (MAPDs).

The May 2023 Formulary updates include two (2) newly-added generic drugs

The May Medicare Part D drug data also includes twenty-eight (28) new generic medications, two (2) of which are newly-introduced generic drugs. These new generic drugs include:

BISOPROLOL-HCTZ [Ziac®], and
LEVOFLOXACIN DROPS.

Please note that these new generic and brand-name drugs are not available on all Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage drug plans - and you can review the chart to see the (often limited) number of plan formularies that now include these drugs.

Reminders about Medicare prescription drug plan formulary changes

Medicare Part D plans (PDPs and MAPDs) can change their formulary or drug list during the year and may drop one of your formulary medication mid-year for specific Medicare-allowable reasons (such as a new generic drug is available), but there are steps you can take if your medication is no longer covered by your prescription drug plan.
In most cases, your Medicare Part D plan will notify you if the plan drops a medication you are currently using.

Good to know: What is the NDC?

The NDC or National Drug Code is used to uniquely identify a particular drug, manufacturer, strength, and packaging combination. The NDC is often shown on your prescription bottle as an 11-digit code (see the charts below) or could be formatted as 00000-0000-00 where the first set of numbers identifies the drug manufacturer, the second set of number identifies the product and strength, and the third set of numbers identifies the packaging. You can read more on this site

Summary of May 2023 NDC changes

There are many reasons for NDCs to be added to the Medicare Part D program, a summary for all 49 new May 2023 NDCs is as follows:

Reason for NDC Addition	Occurrences
New Delivery Form	1
New Drug	11
New Drug and Strength	7
New Drug, Delivery Form and Strength	4
New Manufacturer and Delivery Form	1
New Manufacturer and Strength	8
New Manufacturer, Strength and Delivery Form	2
New Strength	15
Grand Total	49

The following chart details the 49 new manufacturer / drug-strength / packaging combinations (NDCs) that were added to one or more Medicare Part D formularies in the most recent updates -- as you will notices, some drugs are only covered by a few Medicare plans.

You can click on the Drug Name below to go to our on this site Drug Finder ( on this site) and see the details of how this drug is covered by all Medicare Part D plans (PDPs) in Florida (our example state). You can then change the state in our search form for details of drug coverage in your service area.

NDC	Drug Name	Number of PDP Formularies*	Number of MAPD Formularies*	Notes
72578000201	ACYCLOVIR 200 MG CAPSULE [Zovirax]	62	391	New Manufacturer, Strength and Delivery Form
76204020025	ALBUTEROL SULFATE 2.5 MG/3 ML SOLUTION VIAL-NEB	62	391	New Manufacturer, Strength and Delivery Form
00185032501	BENAZEPRIL-HCTZ 10-12.5 MG TABLET [Lotensin HCT]	62	387	New Strength
00185021101	BENAZEPRIL-HCTZ 20-12.5 MG TABLET [Lotensin HCT]	62	387	New Strength
00185027701	BENAZEPRIL-HCTZ 20-25 MG TABLET [Lotensin HCT]	62	387	New Strength
42799092201	BISOPROLOL-HCTZ 10-6.25 MG TABLET [Ziac]	61	390	New Drug
00069723230	CADUET 10 MG-20 MG TABLET	0	2	New Strength
00069618030	CADUET 5 MG-10 MG TABLET	0	2	New Strength
00069632330	CADUET 5 MG-20 MG TABLET	0	2	New Strength
00069674730	CADUET 5 MG-80 MG TABLET	0	2	New Strength
00049241010	CARDURA 1 MG TABLET	1	2	New Strength
00049251210	CARDURA 2 MG TABLET	1	2	New Strength
00049261410	CARDURA 4 MG TABLET	1	2	New Strength
81948625001	CEFACLOR 250 MG/5 ML ORAL SUSPENSION [Ceclor]	23	269	New Manufacturer and Strength
73116021556	COPIKTRA 15 MG CAPSULE	62	391	New Manufacturer and Strength
60505622904	DAPTOMYCIN 500 MG VIAL [Cubicin RF]	62	391	New Manufacturer and Strength
72578008601	DESONIDE 0.05% CREAM (G) [Tridesilon]	34	213	New Manufacturer and Delivery Form
00093960995	DOXEPIN 5% CREAM (G) [Zonalon]	5	58	New Drug
23155053925	DOXERCALCIFEROL 1 MCG CAPSULE [Hectorol]	18	236	New Drug
51672130308	ECONAZOLE NITRATE 1% CREAM (G) [Spectazole]	38	291	New Drug
70954048110	ESTAZOLAM 2 MG TABLET [ProSom]	3	90	New Drug
00054041413	FEBUXOSTAT 80 MG TABLET [Uloric]	26	291	New Manufacturer and Strength
00832151011	HALOPERIDOL 0.5 MG TABLET [Haldol]	62	391	New Strength
00832152011	HALOPERIDOL 1 MG TABLET [Haldol]	62	391	New Strength
00832153011	HALOPERIDOL 2 MG TABLET [Haldol]	62	391	New Strength
59762007301	HYDROCORTISONE 5 MG TABLET [Cortef]	62	391	New Strength
50742017601	ISOSORBIDE MONONIT ER 60 MG TABLET 24H [Isotrate ER]	62	391	New Drug
64380071104	LAMIVUDINE 300 MG TABLET [Epivir]	62	391	New Manufacturer and Strength
00169643210	LEVEMIR FLEXPEN 100 UNIT/ML INSULIN PEN	37	275	New Delivery Form
16571015050	LEVOFLOXACIN 0.5% EYE DROPS 5 ML BOTTLE	21	227	New Drug
00378181310	LEVOTHYROXINE 125 MCG TABLET [Unithroid]	62	391	New Drug and Strength
68180097501	LEVOTHYROXINE 200 MCG TABLET [Unithroid]	62	391	New Drug and Strength
68180097601	LEVOTHYROXINE 300 MCG TABLET [Unithroid]	62	391	New Drug and Strength
66993037179	MEDROXYPROGESTERONE 150 MG/ML SYRINGE [Depo-Provera]	62	383	New Drug, Delivery Form and Strength
66993037083	MEDROXYPROGESTERONE 150 MG/ML VIAL [Depo-Provera]	62	390	New Drug, Delivery Form and Strength
68382045219	MESALAMINE ER 0.375 GRAM CAPSULE ER 24H [Apriso]	56	369	New Drug
00713063337	METRONIDAZOLE 0.75% CREAM (G) [Vitazol]	62	390	New Drug
16714015503	NORETH-EE-FE 1-0.02(24)-75 CAPSULE [Taytulla]	12	126	New Drug
69238229401	OXYCODONE HCL ER 10 MG TABLET 12H [OxyContin]	0	139	New Drug and Strength
69238229601	OXYCODONE HCL ER 20 MG TABLET 12H [OxyContin]	0	139	New Drug and Strength
42858000401	OXYCODONE HCL (IR) 20 MG TABLET [Roxicodone]	62	389	New Drug, Delivery Form and Strength
00406855730	OXYCODONE HCL 100 MG/5 ML ORAL CONC [Roxicodone]	29	294	New Drug, Delivery Form and Strength
47335076583	PALIPERIDONE ER 3 MG TABLET 24 [Invega]	62	391	New Manufacturer and Strength
47335076683	PALIPERIDONE ER 6 MG TABLET 24 [Invega]	62	391	New Manufacturer and Strength
47335076783	PALIPERIDONE ER 9 MG TABLET 24 [Invega]	62	391	New Manufacturer and Strength
59762011901	PHENELZINE SULFATE 15 MG TABLET [Nardil]	62	391	New Drug
70700016201	PROGESTERONE 100 MG CAPSULE [Prometrium]	49	300	New Drug and Strength
70700016301	PROGESTERONE 200 MG CAPSULE [Prometrium]	49	300	New Drug and Strength
70954021210	TRIHEXYPHENIDYL 2 MG TABLET [Artane]	32	338	New Strength

If your brand-name drug is no longer covered by your Medicare Part D plan, you can use the 30-day notice period (if notice is provided) to:

Ask your prescriber about trying the generic.
Check for an alternative formulary drug.
Ask your plan to cover a non-formulary drug.
You will need to work with your doctor or prescriber to explain why you are not able to use the generic medication or why no other formulary drug is acceptable. If your formulary exception is denied, you have the right to appeal your plan’s decision.
Consider using a Special Enrollment Period and move to another Medicare plan that provides coverage of all your prescription and health needs.

Learn more in our article: How a mid-year formulary change can affect your Medicare Part D drug coverage.

Our online Formulary Browser and Drug Finder

You can review any Medicare plan formulary using the on this site Formulary Browser found at: FormularyBrowser.com or compare how any medication is covered on all Medicare plans in your Service Area using our Drug Finder found at on this site.