Communication is being sent this month to notify all NOAH Sliding Fee Scale (SFS) patients they must use NOAH’s Cholla Pharmacy to receive SFS discounts on prescription medication going forward.
While many of our SFS patients have already opted to utilize NOAH’s pharmacy services, effective January 1, 2025, patients will be required to use NOAH’s pharmacy to receive discounted medication.
Why is this changing?
Drug Manufacturer 340B Restrictions
Many drug manufacturers are now only providing 340B discounts to FQHCs filling prescriptions at in-house pharmacies.
Quality of Care
Many retail pharmacy chains are operating with minimal resources, reduced operating hours, and high turnover which impacts the quality of care our SFS patients receive often causing delays in treatment or no treatment at all.
Cost
Patient copays for SFS prescription medications often do not cover the entire cost of the medication. When NOAH’s Pharmacy dispenses the medication, we can make up the difference in cost by also filling prescriptions for patients who don’t qualify for SFS.
What should patients do?
For existing prescriptions, patients should call NOAH’s Cholla Pharmacy and request a prescription transfer. For new prescriptions, patients should request NOAH’s Cholla Pharmacy as their preferred pharmacy. Most prescriptions filled by NOAH’s Pharmacy are eligible for free delivery to any NOAH Health Center.
How can we help?
Care team members for SFS patients should:
- Communicate this change to SFS patients
- Provide patients with the provided informational handout
- Be prepared to answer basic questions
- Recommend patients update their preferred pharmacy
- Inform patients when prescribing medication that cannot be couriered (e.g. controlled substances, reconstituted medication, etc.)
- Refer patients to Community Resources or NOAH’s Pharmacy for additional support with this transition
If you have questions regarding this change, please contact Dora Correal at dncorreal@noahhelps.org or Eric Scherf at escherf@noahhelps.org.
