The most recent (May 2013) Medicare Part D plan formulary data (or drug lists) updates included 131 new drug codes. These represent new drugs, strengths, packaging, and/or manufactures. As to the top 10 Medicare Part D drugs,
VALSARTAN-HCTZ 160-12.5 MG TAB has been added (generic for Diovan HCT®)
.
We have chosen to include Altorvastatin, Clopidogrel, Escitalopram, Pioglitazone, Quetiapine Fumarate and Valsartan-HCTZ to the list of Top 10 Medicare Drugs, so our list actually includes 16 drugs -- Lipitor® with it’s generic equivalent Atorvastatin and Escitalopram for Lexapro®, Clopidogrel for Plavix®, Pioglitazone for Actos®, Quetiapine Fumarate generic equivalent for Seroquel® and now Valsartan-HCTZ for Diovan HCT®).
The changes to the number of formularies covering these medications looks as follows:
*The formulary counts include both stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDP) and Medicare Advantage plans (MAPD) in all states and the U.S. territories.
**Initial (start) 2012 CMS formulary dataset dated October, 2011. The ending 2012 CMS formulary dataset dated September, 2012.
***Initial 2013 CMS formulary dataset dated October, 2012
You can review any Medicare plan formulary using the Q1Medicare.com FormularyBrowser at
Q1Medicare.com/FormularyBrowser or compare how any medication is covered on all Medicare plans in your service area using our
Q1Medicare.com/DrugFinder.