BASKING RIDGE, N.J. and
FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless and
Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS) today announced a mobile
application that can instantly guide patients and their doctors to
the lowest-cost prescription drug to meet their health needs and
help them identify potentially harmful drug interactions.
Available now on Verizon Wireless Android handsets and BlackBerry
devices, the new Medco Pharmacy mobile app delivers critical
information to help Medco members manage their prescription
medications.
The Medco Pharmacy mobile app, available for download in V CAST
Apps, provides information about out-of-pocket costs for any
prescription drug and lower-cost options specific to a person's
prescription drug plan, as well as drug interaction alerts based on
the patient's prescription history – even if the patient is treated
by several doctors or fills prescriptions at many different
pharmacies. Once registered at medco.com, patients will
have their complete medication history and drug plan at their
fingertips and can discuss cost-saving options, drug safety or
coverage issues with their medical professional, even before they
leave the doctor's office.
The Medco Pharmacy mobile app, offering unique healthcare
functionality, consists of three key features:
- My Rx Choices: Delivers on-demand, personalized
out-of-pocket costs for any prescription medication and lower-cost
options based on the member's pharmacy plan coverage, as well as
for eligible dependents; informs the registered members who can
share the information with their physicians or pharmacist if there
are any health or drug plan rules that require a physician
authorization before the drug can be dispensed; and provides alerts
to potential drug interaction risks associated with the current
medications the person is on and a new medication a physician
intends to prescribe.
- My Medicine Cabinet: Allows individuals to view the
medications they are on and set reminders for themselves or members
of the household to take or refill those medications.
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, vitamins and supplements
can be added and checked for possible interactions with current
prescription drugs. The drug review is automatic if the OTC
is purchased at The Medco Health Store.
- Prescription ID Card: Offers convenient, easy access to
a member's prescription drug card anytime, anywhere.
"Wireless devices are a part of the lifestyle as we know it
today, and millions of people rely on their BlackBerry and Android
smartphones for instant information," said Mike Ross, vice president of sales, healthcare,
Verizon Wireless. "Reliability is paramount to not only
medical information, but for a network too. Our combined
technologies will give users a powerful tool that can help them
manage their medical care."
According to Medco research, 500,000 prescriptions that have a
lower-cost option available are written every day for Medco
members, illustrating the enormous potential savings opportunities
that exist. The app is built on Medco's My Rx Choices
prescription savings and patient safety program, which was launched
online in 2006.
"The Medco Pharmacy mobile app provides innovative
patient-specific pharmacy information that doesn't exist anywhere
else in the healthcare system; it puts actionable information in
front of patients so they're able to share it with their
physicians, even while still in the exam room, or the pharmacist
before dispensing. It provides personalized results for the
more than 65 million members we serve," said Tom Feitel, senior vice president, Imagineering
and Innovation, Medco. "Medco is proud to bring this mobile
solution to its clients and members as we continue to look for
innovative ways to accelerate electronic practices within the
healthcare system."
For more information about Verizon Wireless products and
services, visit www.verizonwireless.com. Go to www.medco.com
for more information about the Medco Pharmacy mobile app.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's fastest, most advanced 4G
network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves
104 million total wireless connections, including more than 88
million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 employees
nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon
Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).
For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To
preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and
high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to
the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at
www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
About Medco
Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS) is pioneering the
world’s most advanced pharmacy® and its clinical
research and innovations are part of Medco making medicine
smarter™ for approximately 65 million members.
With more than 20,000 employees worldwide dedicated to improving
patient health and reducing costs for a wide range of public and
private sector clients, and 2010 revenues of $66 billion, Medco ranks 34th on the 2011 Fortune
500 list and is named among the world’s most innovative, most
admired and most trustworthy companies.
For more information, go to http://www.medcohealth.com.
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as
that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that
may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the
statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and
actual results may differ materially from those projected. We
undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future events,
or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release
should be evaluated together with the risks and uncertainties that
affect our business, particularly those mentioned in the Risk
Factors section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Verizon Wireless