Our Commitment During COVID-19

We’re rising to the challenge to take care of your members.
COVID

Express Scripts works hard, every day, to be your trusted partner and champion for better health care. That means bringing innovative solutions to your problems, identifying opportunities to improve the health and well-being of your employees, colleagues, family and friends, and anticipating issues and helping you prepare for the unexpected.

Those qualities, and our commitment to you, have never been more important. 

Daily life has changed drastically in the space of just one week, and some days, it changes by the hour and minute.

But as health care leaders, it is our job to take care of the millions of people who are counting on us. I feel the weight of that, and I’m sure you do, too.

I know communication and information sharing is critical right now, and you have my commitment to share updates as our COVID-19 response evolves.

Here are updates on two of our biggest priorities this week:

Medication Supply

Overall, we are seeing an increase in prescription volume across all products due to more members moving their prescriptions to 90-day fills through the Express Scripts Pharmacy for home delivery. This is a positive trend since it’s the most convenient, cost-effective, and safest way for members to get their medications, particularly as some are directed to shelter-in-place. In general, our supply at the Express Scripts pharmacy remains stable at this time.

For medicines that treat COVID-19 related symptoms and conditions, such as pneumonia, and medicines that may be used as off-label treatment, we are seeing a surge in demand and may experience temporary shortages as manufacturers work to increase supply.  We have implemented protective quantity limitations through both the PBM and the pharmacy to ensure appropriate access and protect supply for members who currently rely on these therapies for their approved indications. These limits apply to chloroquine, hydroxycholorquine, azithromycin, a protease inhibitor, and albuterol/ albuterol inhalers.

Supply chain predictability is one of the most important services we provide to our clients and members at all times, and especially as we manage through COVID-19. We have sophisticated algorithms that allow us to predict potential disruptions so we can stay ahead of the curve.  This system continues to provide us with additional protections during this unprecedented time, as long as members continue to refill medications responsibly and resist the urge to stockpile. The CDC recommends patients maintain a 2-week supply of prescription medications.

Ready to Serve

There is no greater priority than the health and well-being of our members and our employees, and we are taking many actions to protect our workforce so that they can continue serving you and your members.

Our well-established emergency preparedness program is in effect and is helping us maintain normal business operations. We are assessing our future needs, community-by-community, and taking the necessary steps and reinforcements to ensure the integrity and security of our telecom capabilities and network.

We’ve also taken the following actions for our employees:  

  • Rewarding employees who must continue to work onsite during this challenging time with premium compensation and additional assistance
  • Mandating that all employees with the capability to work from home to do so to create social distance in our offices, while continuing to protect our clients’ data
  • Providing extensive resources and tools for our colleagues to help effectively manage feelings of fear, anxiety, and stress
  • Providing 10 days (80 hours) of emergency paid time off for colleagues for COVID-19 related absences through 2020

We take seriously the responsibility to lead in a time like this, and to bring peace of mind to the people we serve.  We are prepared to care for our members during this unprecedented time, and our teams are working relentlessly to stay ahead in the response to this epidemic.

We all are champions for better health care and that matters in times like these more than ever.


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