Thanks to a new on-site pharmacy that opened last month, the Hamilton County Government can reduce their prescription costs by more than $2 million over the next three years. The Hamilton County Employee Pharmacy, which purchases direct from the nation’s largest wholesalers, is operated by On-Site Rx, Inc., a company specializing in employer sponsored pharmacies based in Gainesville, GA. The pharmacy exclusively serves the employees and dependents of Hamilton County Government Health Plan in Chattanooga Tennessee.
Donna Garrison, Compensation and Benefits Manager for Hamilton County said, “It’s hard to imagine a better win-win scenario. Members save on copays and have convenience. The County’s plan saves and can positively impact member health.”
The state-of-the-art facility, located in the McDaniel Building, filled almost 1,500 prescriptions on the first month of operation. The building has become a complete wellness center for the Hamilton County employees, as it also houses a fitness center. Members of the County’s prescription plan fill close to 58,000 claims annually at a cost of over $4.9 M. By purchasing direct from the wholesalers and eliminating mark-ups from various middlemen, the County will be able to reduce their prescription cost for every prescription filled in the pharmacy.
The new Hamilton County facility has one full-time and one part-time pharmacist on staff to fill requests and answer any patient questions. The Pharmacist in Charge, Rachel Cromer, Pharm. D., was previously employed at the Target Pharmacy in Cleveland, TN. Dan Doebler, Managing Partner at On-Site Rx said, “We really like Rachel’s skill set for this position. Her patient-centric approach to pharmacy services and member-education is exactly what the client was seeking in serving their members.”
The new pharmacy has been added and integrated into the network of 60,000-plus other pharmacies available through the County’s health plan. If utilization reaches the conservative milestones anticipated, Hamilton County will reduce prescription drug costs in excess of $2 M over the next 3 years.
For additional information, please contact Donna Garrison, Hamilton County Government at (423) 209-6136 or Dan Doebler, On-Site Rx at (919) 554-2492
