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Article: Claritin makers waging an ad campaign to shift patients to Clarinex.
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- August 12, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Bernard J. Wolfson
SANTA ANA, Calif. _ Sarah Gerrick of Santa Ana was dismayed recently when her family's health insurer, Health Net Inc., informed her of a sharp increase in the copayment for Allegra, a prescription drug that she and her three children take for their allergies.
Health Net had removed Allegra and another nonsedating antihistamine, Claritin, from its list of preferred medications and replaced them with Clarinex, a new drug that many allergists say has no track record.
If Gerrick switched to Clarinex, the monthly cost for her and her children would be $10 each. But if she still wanted Allegra, she would have to pay $35 a ...