Use the home delivery program for drugs you take on an ongoing basis for conditions such as arthritis, high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure. This program is a great option to help you save on copayments. You can order a 60- to 90-day supply of maintenance medication by mail. Most medications are delivered right to your doorstep. Once your order is set up, you can request refills online or by phone.

The step therapy program is designed for patients with certain conditions that require them to take medications regularly. In this program, the medication therapy for a medical condition begins with the most cost-effective medication, and progresses to other more costly therapies should the initial medication not provide adequate therapeutic benefit.

If is is documented in your prescription drug history that you had previously tried a generic medication and it was not effective, you will bet be affected by this program.

In step therapy, medications are grouped into categories.

Step one: first line medications that are mostly generic medications proven safe, effective, and affordable. These medications are to be tried first.

Step two: second line line medications that are mostly higher costing brand name medications.

Certain chronic and non-chronic drug classes are subject to step therapy. For example, step therapy medication classes include cholesterol, acne, antidepressants, acid reflux, and anti-inflammatories. If your physician writes a new prescription for a medication that is part of the step therapy program, and the medication is not already part of your documented prescription drug history, your physician will need to write you prescription for a first line medication.

Always talk to your doctor before discontinuing or changing any medication. 

Under the three-tier prescription drug program, there is a prior authorization requirement for some drugs. For these drugs, Express Scripts requires that physicians call Express Scripts for prior authorization before they write prescriptions and/or authorize refills on current prescriptions.

To determine whether your prescription requires a prior authorization, call Express Scripts customer service at 877-486-5984 or go online to www.express-scripts.com. Without prior authorization, you will pay the full price of the prescription rather than the coinsurance amount.

Medications taken regularly (maintenance medications) can be filled through Express Scripts home delivery or at your local CVS pharmacy for a 90-day supply.

You can fill a maintenance medication at a retail pharmacy for a 30-day supply at the retail copy up to three times. After three, additional 30-day refills are subject to an additional $10 charge.

Drug quantity management (DQM) is designed to provide the medication you need for your good health while ensuring that you receive the amount - or quantity - considered safe. This gives you the right amount to take the daily dose considered safe and effective, according to the guidelines from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

Drug quantity management helps save money in two different ways. First, if your prescription is available in different strengths, you may be able to take one dose of a higher strength instead of two or more of a lower strength. Second, DQM helps to minimize the amount of extra supplies that you may accumulate over time.

Excluded medications are not covered under the Express Scripts plan. Each of the excluded drugs have 1-5 alternatives covered under the plan that you can discuss with your doctor. If you choose to receive an excluded medication, you will be responsible for the full cost of the prescription. Excluded prescriptions are also not applicable toward the out-of-pocket maximum.

Certain specialty prescriptions will be required to be filled by CuraScript/Accredo. There are some specialty medications that are not subject to this requirement. Contact Express Scripts with any questions at 877-486-5984.