2016 Prescription Benefit Change

This is my first visit in years to CP.....were there any comments a few months back regarding Merck's decision to discontinue offering the Merck branded product at no cost when a generic "equivalent" is available beginning in 2016? I find it so ironic after years of telling physicians that specifying Merck branded medications was the only way to guarantee that their patients would be getting the absolute best product. What's going on with this company? Does Merck no longer want their employees to benefit from Merck branded drugs, regardless of generic availability? OR ARE GENERICS JUST A GOOD AS THE MERCK BRAND NOW? Is that what we should now believe? What an abysmal decision by Merck management.

 

Merck chose to go with the cheaper drug for their pharmacy benefit plan. We mustn't fault our customers when they choose to do the same in place of the more expensive Merck brand. Should we? I'm sure your Merck management will understand that rationale completely.....what's good for the goose after all. And don't forget the gift of the goose! Such fine management practices continue.

 

Do as we say, not as we do.

 

Have you seen our QA department? The generics are the better quality product. It has been that way for 10 years. Trust me, it's a good thing. Bunch of idiots over there.

 

That thought occurred to me and your comment now reinforces what I was afraid to think. What a shithouse Merck became. Guess I should welcome the change then....and the privilege to pay for a generic

 

Quit your bitching because very soon we will not offer any medical or prescription coverage. You are going to be dumped into Obamafraud!

 

Certainly avoiding medical care or prescription therapy is going to be the best option for controlling health management costs. Far more cost effective to practice best nutritional and physical fitness regimens throughout one's life and avoid the lifestyle diseases that have kept drug companies in business. This is slowly occurring and will eventually be the norm when the baby boomers cease to exist and have been replaced by the newer generations.

 

Don't blame Merck for this change and be thankful you can still enjoy Merck branded products at no cost to you when generics are not yet available. Merck simply wants to control and minimize their need to manufacture Merck products after generic competition has taken over the lion's share of the market. That simple.

 

be thankful you have a job in general. Stop being so greedy.

 

Please, I can do without this tired reply. Greed has nothing to do with it. I guess you would be happy to give up your compensation, too, just to remain thankful that you have a job?? Come on. Instead of Merck maintaining/improving their benefits to employees, this is another example of further erosion of benefits offered in order to "control costs" while our product prices continue to increase....your greedy comment is misdirected I would say!

 

i tried to fill my cozaar tonight and it was $40... I was pretty upset about it. The generic was $3. I guess all good things must come to an end.

 

Too bad you had to spend your money instead of mine, greedy prick!

 

Oh enjoy the generics I certainly do. They work fine, are FDA approved unless one is silly enough to purchase online where it may come from some third-world country. I refuse to pay for my medicine to enhance the executive life their company cars etc. Wise up and I have Merck stock.

 

I buy mine online and don't consider myself silly for doing so. I have resorted to using a Canadian pharmacy and the product is manufactured in Canada.....not exactly a third-world country. The medication works just fine, too!

 

Frazier justifies price increases saying we have to focus on the value that our products provide and now this. Guess there is not enough value to justify the added expense when Ken has to come in on his budget. Can you say "inconsistent"?

 

I disagree. If Merck has to manufacture a lot for non-Merck patients, then they are already paying fixed costs to do so. I find it hard to believe that costs are significantly higher to produce enough product for the Merck employees who have been on these drugs for years.

I appreciate the need to do other cost-saving measures, but losing this perk sends a bigger message to employees, which I don't think is worth the organization is saving.

 

Wise up!

Time to improve your own health so you won't need any drugs.

 

Correct! Between the fact that doctors are only treating symptoms and the side effects of medications, do your best to avoid putting these chemicals we promote in your own bodies.

 

Agreed.

And if you look at the current list of products "offered" by Merck, it's full of off-patent products. How ironic that these "oldies" are being used to beef up a paltry product line, yet Mother removes a long-held benefit to employees.

 

Yes, I can! On the other hand, hasn't Merck become consistent with their inconsistence? It's bullshit and another fine example of Merck's doublespeak. Something's purely rotten when a pharmaceutical company that has been providing their branded product to their employees as a health benefit all of a sudden decides to make generics the preferred product for their employees. It's absurd but Frazier and company clearly could care less about this miniscule issue.