DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walgreens today announced that Viatris’ long-acting interchangeable Insulin Glargine (insulin glargine-yfgn) injection, co-developed with Biocon Biologics, will be offered through the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club, saving members up to 80 percent off the cash price of comparable long-acting insulins purchased at Walgreens. Insulin Glargine (insulin glargine-yfgn) will be offered to Walgreens Prescription Savings Club members as a vial for $71.99 and a box of five pens for $84.99. On July 28, Insulin Glargine (insulin glargine-yfgn) was the first insulin biosimilar granted FDA interchangeability with the reference product Lantus® (insulin glargine), a long-acting insulin for the treatment of diabetes.
“Reducing costs for insulin is critical to driving better adherence and improving health outcomes, particularly among those who are uninsured or underinsured,” said Rick Gates, senior vice president, Pharmacy, Walgreens. “Walgreens has the experience and flexibility to work with a multitude of payors, providers and manufacturers to help improve health outcomes and lower overall costs. The savings that we can offer with this prescription is another example of how we help people with chronic conditions, like diabetes, better manage their prescription costs and overall health.”
Over 34 million adults, or 13 percent of the adult population, in the U.S. are living with diabetes.i Of the diabetic U.S. population, nearly a quarter uses insulin for their treatment.ii However, with insulin prices on the rise, roughly a quarter of those living with diabetes dependent on insulin either reduce or skip their dose altogether.iii-iv
Patients can easily enroll in the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club for an annual fee of $20 per individual and $35 per family. The Walgreens Prescription Savings Club is not insurance but a discount prescription drug program offering savings of up to 80 percent off cash retail prices of prescriptions purchased at participating Walgreens. Savings apply to thousands of prescriptions, including many value-priced generics available at $5, $10 and $15 price points.
Walgreens Prescriptions Savings Club membership benefits include:
- Discounts on thousands of generic, preventive and lifestyle medications insurance may not cover;
- Discounts on eligible pet medications;
- Savings on nebulizers and diabetic supplies to better aid in diabetes management;
- Up to 20 percent savings on most immunizations administered at Walgreens;
- And a 10 percent bonus credit on eligible purchases of Walgreens brand and Nice! products purchased in store.
To learn more and enroll in the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club, visit Walgreens.com/RxSavingsClub or contact a Walgreens pharmacist via phone, in-store or using the Walgreens app.
The Walgreens Prescription Savings Club is available to customers in 45 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Program is not available in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Mississippi and Washington. Amount of the discount may vary based on type of item/service Member purchases, but Providers will not charge the Member more than the discounted rate. Program participants can save up to 80 percent off cash retail prices for prescriptions purchased from participating Walgreens stores. Actual savings may vary. Cannot be combined with any form of insurance other pharmacy benefit programs. The Program does not make any payments to Providers. Member is entirely responsible for paying discounted price to the Provider at time of service.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the United States segment of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an integrated pharmacy, healthcare and retail leader serving millions of customers and patients every day, with a 170-year heritage of caring for communities. As America’s most loved pharmacy, health and beauty company, Walgreens purpose is to champion the health and well-being of every community in America. Operating nearly 9,000 retail locations across America, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Walgreens is proud to be a neighborhood health destination serving approximately 9 million customers each day. Walgreens pharmacists play a critical role in the U.S. healthcare system by providing a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services. To best meet the needs of customers and patients, Walgreens offers a true omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital platforms, supported by the latest technology to deliver high-quality products and services in local communities nationwide.
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i Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services; 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf
ii Cefalu, William T., et al. "Insulin access and affordability working group: conclusions and recommendations." Diabetes Care 41.6 (2018): 1299-1311. https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/41/6/1299
iiiAmerican Diabetes Association, Statistics – The Cost of Diabetes, ref. study “Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2017” (2018). https://www.diabetes.org/resources/statistics/cost-diabetes
iv Herkert, Darby, et al. "Cost-related insulin underuse among patients with diabetes." JAMA internal medicine 179.1 (2019): 112-114. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2717499
