Drugstores Report Increased Prescriptions for Medicare Obesity Drug Program

Why it matters locally: This national program provides Medicare beneficiaries in Hawaii, including those served by CVS and Walgreens locations across the islands, with increased access to obesity medications for a monthly cost of $50, potentially impacting the health and healthcare costs for thousands of kupuna.

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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.