Drugstores Report Increased Prescriptions for Medicare Obesity Drug Program

Why it matters locally: California, with the nation's largest Medicare population, is likely to see a significant number of its eligible beneficiaries enrolling in or benefiting from the Bridge program, impacting local pharmacies across the state.

Drugstore chains CVS and Walgreens have each dispensed 100,000 prescriptions under a new Medicare initiative. The program, known as Bridge, launched on July 1. It provides certain Medicare beneficiaries access to obesity medications for a monthly cost of $50. The Bridge program aims to increase access to specific obesity drugs for eligible Medicare participants. CVS and Walgreens began processing these prescriptions shortly after the program's implementation.