Home delivery and drug choice in USA

US consumers using home delivery for prescriptions were more likely to choose a lower-cost preferred drug after a formulary change, than those using a retail pharmacy, according to a study appearing in the December 2007 issue of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

The study by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts evaluated consumer behavior after the company recommended a formulary to better position consumers and plan sponsors to take advantage of the availability of generic Zocor (simvastatin) in mid-2006.

The study found that more than half (52%) of home delivery consumers chose to switch therapies as compared to one third (33%) of retail buyers. Overall, 42% of consumers chose to switch to a formulary statin. People using home delivery were also more likely to use the web or call into Express Scripts for more information than retail users (50% versus 11%), which may be partially due to the fact that they use these channels to order their prescriptions, the firm noted.