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July 2017 Formulary Changes to the Top Medicare Drugs

Category: Monthly Formulary Changes
Published: Jul, 17 2017 06:07:16
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The July, 2017 Medicare Part D plan formulary (or drug list) data included 114 new drug codes or NDCs representing 70 different medications.

The NDC uniquely identifies 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 manufacturer, the second set of number identifies the product and strength, and the third set of numbers identifies the packaging.

This article highlights the change for some of the "top Medicare drugs", including their generic equivalents .  The generics included are Atorvastatin [Lipitor®] , Clopidogrel [Plavix®], Escitalopram [Lexapro®], Esomeprazole Sodium [Nexium®], Pioglitazone [Actos®], Risedronate Sodium [Actonel®], Quetiapine Fumarate [Seroquel®], and Valsartan-HCTZ [Diovan HCT®]. 

The changes to the number of formularies covering these medications looks as follows:

Count of 2017 Formularies covering the Top Medicare Drugs Program wide
    Formulary Count*
NDC Drug Name 2013 End** 2014 End** 2015 End** 2016 End** 2017 Start** April May June July Aug.
00430047203 ACTONEL 35 MG 36 DOSE PACK 233 248 148 25 11 11 11  11  11  
64764030115 ACTOS 30MG/1 TABLET (90 CT) 214 75 35 23 16 16 16  16  16  
00173069600 ADVAIR DISKUS MIS 250/50 307 347 353 348 358 362 363  363  363  
63304082790 ATORVASTATIN 10 MG TABLET [Lipitor] 316 364 394        
00378395009 ATORVASTATIN 10 MG TABLET [Lipitor] 385 377 379 380  380  380  
00378362777 CLOPIDOGREL TAB 75MG [Plavix] 315 364        
55111019630 CLOPIDOGREL TAB 75MG [Plavix] 394        
00093731456 CLOPIDOGREL TAB 75MG [Plavix] 385 377 379 380  380  380  
00078031534 DIOVAN HCT 160/12.5MG TABLET 185 80 50 29 21 21 21  21  21  
00093585101 ESCITALOPRAM 10 MG TABLET [Lexapro] 315 363 385 385 377 379 380
  380  380  
47335050944 ESOMEPRAZOLE SODIUM 40 MG VIAL [Nexium] 253 285        
62756050944 ESOMEPRAZOLE SODIUM 40 MG VIAL [Nexium] 285 302 292 296 296
  296  296  
00088222033 LANTUS 100U/ML VIAL 309 350 382 371 368 372 373
  373  373  
00456201001 LEXAPRO 10MG TABLET 92 55 45 26 12 12 12
  12  12  
00071015523 LIPITOR 10MG TABLET 68 43 30 21 20 20 20
  20  20  
00186504054 NEXIUM 40MG CAPSULE 198 211 206 98 25 33 33
  33  33  
00378022893 PIOGLITAZONE HCL 30 MG TABLET [Actos] 310 364 394 385 377 379 380
  380  380  
63653117105 PLAVIX 75MG TABLET 109 48 34 20 13 13 13
  13  13  
47335090288 QUETIAPINE FUMARATE 25 MG TAB [SEROQUEL] 316 364 394 385 377 379 380
  380  380  
00591207539 RISEDRONATE SODIUM 35 MG TABLET [Actonel] 243        
00093309844 RISEDRONATE SODIUM 35 MG TABLET [Actonel] 220 246 227 229 230
  230  230  
47335066868 RISEDRONATE SODIUM 35 MG TABLET [Actonel] 223 237 244 245
  245  245  
00310027510 SEROQUEL 25MG TABLET 112 54 43 26 12 12 12
  12  12  
00378632205 VALSARTAN-HCTZ 160-12.5 MG TAB [Diovan HCT] 297 343 388 376 370 372 373
  373  373  

*The formulary counts include both stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDP) and Medicare Advantage plans (MAPD) in all states and the U.S. territories.
**Ending 2013 CMS formulary dataset dated October, 2013. Ending 2014 CMS formulary dataset dated September, 2014. Ending 2015 CMS formulary dataset dated September, 2015. Ending 2016 CMS formulary dataset dated September, 2016. Starting 2017 CMS formulary dataset dated October, 2016 (Sanctioned plans not included in plan count).


You can review any Medicare plan formulary using the Q1Medicare.com FormularyBrowser at FormularyBrowser.com or compare how any medication is covered on all Medicare plans in your service area using our Q1Rx.com.

Additional Formulary Drug Change Articles:

Medicare Part D Plan Formulary (Drug Lists) Updates:
September 2023, August 2023, June 2023, May 2023, April 2023, March 2023, February 2023, August 2022, June 2022, May 2022, April 2022, March 2022, February 2022, August 2021, June 2021, May 2021, April 2021, September 2020, August 2020, June 2020, May 2020, April 2020, March 2020, September 2019, July 2019, June 2019, May 2019, April 2019, March 2019, August 2018, July 2018, June 2018, May 2018, April 2018, August 2017, July 2017, May 2017, April 2017, August 2016, July 2016, June 2016, April 2016, March 2016, October 2015, August 2015, July 2015, May 2015, April 2015, August 2014, May 2014, August 2013, June 2013, May 2013, April 2013, August 2012, July 2012, June 2012

Formulary Changes to the Top Medicare Drugs:
September 2023, September 2022, September 2021, September 2020, April 2020, September 2019, April 2019, August 2018, April 2018, August 2017, April 2017, August 2016, April 2016, October 2015, April 2015, August 2014, August 2013, April 2013

New Generic Equivalents Added to Formularies:
June 2023, February 2023, August 2021, June 2021, May 2021, April 2021, September 2020, August 2020, June 2020, May 2020, April 2020, March 2020, September 2019, July 2019, June 2019, May 2019, April 2019, March 2019, August 2018, July 2018, April 2018, August 2017, July 2017, April 2017, March & April 2016, April & May 2015, August 2014, May 2014


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