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Blood Glucose Meter Program Changes

Starting October 1, 2009, Bayer and Abbott products will become the preferred brands of test strips for all of our prescription drug programs. In addition, they will be the only test strips on the Select Drug Program® Formulary.

New Preferred Test Strips

Effective October 1, 2009, our new preferred test strips will be Bayer and Abbott products. Both of these brands offer your patients simple and accurate testing strips and monitoring systems.

For Abbott monitors, the new preferred test strips include FreeStyle®, FreeStyle Lite®, and Precision Xtra®. For Bayer monitors, the new preferred test strips include Contour®, Breeze®2, Elite®, and Autodisc®.

Our current preferred test strip brands, Accu-Chek® and OneTouch®, will remain as the preferred brands until September 30, 2009. As of October 1, 2009, these test strips will be non-preferred and therefore no longer included on our formulary.

New Prior Authorizations Required

Effective October 1, 2009, we will also require prior authorization for any non-preferred test strips. If your patient chooses to use a test strip that is not FreeStyle®, FreeStyle Lite®, Precision Xtra®, Contour®, Breeze®2, Elite®, or Autodisc®, you will need to complete a prior authorization form on your patient’s behalf. If the prior authorization is not approved, the non-preferred test strips will not be a covered pharmacy benefit for your patient, and he or she will be responsible for the entire cost of the test strips. If the request for the non-preferred test strips is approved, your patient will be charged the highest level of cost-sharing.

Free Blood Glucose Meters

To help ease the transition to our new preferred brands, both Abbott and Bayer blood glucose meters are available at no cost to our members who are switching to one of the new preferred test strips. Below is a comparison chart of important features of the blood glucose meters and corresponding test strips. The new preferred brands rank high in patient satisfaction and can be used in several test sites, as listed below.

Abbott Diabetes Care Bayer Diabetes Care
Blood Glucose Meter FreeStyle® FreeStyle Freedom® Lite Precision Xtra® Contour® Breeze®2
Sample size (uL) 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.6 1.0
Test time 5 seconds 5 seconds 5 seconds 5 seconds 5 seconds
Approved test sites Fingertip, hand, forearm, upper arm, thigh, calf Fingertip, hand, forearm, upper arm, thigh, calf Fingertip, palm, forearm, upper arm Fingertip, palm, forearm Fingertip, palm
Sample fill technique Side Side End or top End End
Calibration type No coding No coding SmartChip (process ketone data) Automatic Automatic
Height of read-out (mm) 10 20 19 12.5 11
Corresponding test strips FreeStyle Lite® FreeStyle Lite® Precision Xtra® Contour® Breeze®2,Autodisc

To order a free meter from Abbott or Bayer, you or your patient should contact the manufacturer directly using the information below. If the meter is ordered through the manufacturer before October 1, 2009, additional complimentary test strips will also be included.

Our members can also get a free meter at their pharmacy using the manufacturer coupons that were mailed directly to affected members. Along with a coupon, he or she will need two prescriptions — one for the test strips and one for the corresponding meter — in order to receive a free meter at the pharmacy.

For More Information

If you have questions about our new preferred diabetic test strips and corresponding meters, please contact FutureScripts®, our pharmacy benefits management company, at 1-888-678-7012.