INDUSTRY INTERVIEW: Express Scripts

George Paz
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Express Scripts

George Paz is the chairman of the board, chief executive officer and president of Express Scripts, Inc., a leading pharmacy benefit manager, and the contractor administering the TRICARE retail and mail order pharmacy benefits. Paz joined Express Scripts in 1998 as senior vice president and chief financial officer. He was named president in 2003 and chief executive officer in 2005.

Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief overview of Express Scripts?

A: Express Scripts is one of the nation’s top pharmacy benefit management [PBM] companies, and it is our distinct honor to serve the men and women of the U.S. military and their families. Our mission is to make the use of prescription drugs safer and more affordable, and we do that for more than 50 million people across the United States and Canada, including over 9 million TRICARE beneficiaries. Thousands of organizations rely on Express Scripts for innovative solutions to manage pharmacybenefit costs and enhance their members’ quality of care.

Unlike other PBMs, Express Scripts has never been owned by a drug manufacturer. This legacy of independence guarantees that our programs and original research on the pharmacy benefit best serve the interests of our clients and members. As evidence, Express Scripts’ 56.4 percent generic dispensing rate leads the industry. Our commercial experience shows that every percentage point increase in the generic dispensing rate typically results in a percentage point reduction in drug spend.

Q: What services does Express Scripts provide to the DoD and TRICARE beneficiaries?

A: As TRRx [TRICARE retail] contractor, Express Scripts provides TRICARE beneficiaries with access to a nationwide network of over 55,000 retail pharmacies. This completely portable benefit allows beneficiaries to access any network pharmacy, any where in the country and is a great option for acute or emergent medication needs.

In addition, Express Scripts provides convenient home delivery service for beneficiaries who are on maintenance medications through the TMOP [TRICARE mail order pharmacy]. This program allows beneficiaries to receive up to a 90-day supply of medication for a single copayment, typically a 66 percent savings over retail.

Beneficiary safety is a premier concern for both the DoD and Express Scripts. To ensure TRICARE beneficiaries avoid dangerous drug interactions, Express Scripts, in coordination with the DoD’s Pharmacy Data Transaction Service [PDTS], checks all prescription claims from TMOP and TRRx against prescription claims dispensed at the military treatment facilities to identify any potentially harmful drug combinations.

Express Scripts also provides a customized TRICARE website that delivers access to an abundance of drug information and TMOP refill order initiation and tracking capabilities.

Approximately 30 percent of all TMOP prescription refills are ordered online. DoD beneficiaries comprise the largest group of online users of the Express Scripts home delivery pharmacy service.

Q: How is Express Scripts validating its commitment of making the use of prescription drugs safer and more affordable for the DoD and its beneficiaries?

A: Express Scripts has a proven track-record of achieving positive
results for the DoD.

We have helped to increase the use of mail order, which drives cost reduction for both the TRICARE pharmacy program and its beneficiaries. Use of mail order also provides greater beneficiary safety due to lower dispensing error rates compared to the retail environment.

In government–administered quarterly surveys, beneficiaries have routinely reported better than 97 percent satisfaction with the TMOP for over three years. Additionally, the DoD has recognized Express Scripts for saving the government over $100 million in drug costs under the TRRx program for each of the past two contract years.

Q: How else is Express Scripts involved in supporting the military?

A: Express Scripts is very grateful for the sacrifice our military families have made in preserving the freedoms we enjoy as a nation and we are committed to maintaining and improving the health and well being of the active-duty and retired military and their families. As such, we support the USO, sponsor several military scholarships and contribute to many other organizations that provide care and support to the families of our service men and women beyond providing access to safe and affordable prescription drugs. ♦

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