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Article: OTC Claritin prompts coverage decisions.
- Article from:
- Employee Benefit News
- Article date:
- February 1, 2003
- Author:
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When Schering-Plough's non-sedating antihistamine (NSA) Claritin went over the counter last December, plan sponsors confronted a big question: What coverage would they now provide for other prescription-only NSAs like Allegra, Zyrtec, and Clarinex?
Sponsors naturally began to weigh economic incentives to steer consumers toward OTC Claritin, which at a ballpark cost of $30 for a month's supply is much cheaper than prescription-based alternatives - and less than half of Claritin's cost as a prescription drug. While it's too soon to puzzle out the choices employers are making, health industry representatives caution that there are pros and cons to every benefit ...