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Many of our health care centers include a pharmacy under the same roof with a complete assortment of brand name and generic medication and over-the-counter treatments. The pharmacists at each center work closely with your physician and support staff to maximize the convenience for you.
Cigna Medical Group patients can also refill prescriptions by phone any time - day or night. Just call the Pharmacy Automated Refill Line at 800.615.2905. The easy-to-follow prompts will lead you through the process. You can even choose to pick up your prescription order at any Cigna Medical Group Pharmacy location you want.
Patient Care
Our pharmacists work closely with your doctors and their staffs to make sure you quickly receive exactly what you need. In addition, Cigna Medical Group has three pharmacist-managed anti-coagulation clinics throughout the Valley. In 2007, Cigna Medical Group implemented an enhanced Medication Therapy Management Program for CIGNA Healthcare for Seniors members through face-to-face interventions at our health care pharmacies.
Over-the-Counter Sales
Our pharmacies carry a wide variety of over-the counter items with competitive pricing. Look for more discounts during our quarterly sales:
Spring: 02-22-10 thru 04-02-10
Summer: 05-17-10 thru 06-25-10
Fall: 08-09-10 thru 09-17-10
Winter: 11-15-10 thru 12-31-10
*The sale offers our customers a 25% discount on all "Major" branded OTC products and often offer many products in our "Buy two and Save" promotions.
Requesting a Refill for a Medication
Cigna Medical Group (CMG) patients can request a medication refill by:
- Calling the Pharmacy Automated Refill Line at 800.615.2905. The easy-to-follow prompts will lead you through the process. You can even choose to pick up your prescription order at any of our Cigna Medical Group Pharmacy locations.
Do you have a Prescription Benefit that is not with CIGNA?
The Cigna Medical Group (CMG) Pharmacy may be able to fill your prescriptions. Stop by today and find out if we participate in your pharmacy network for your prescription coverage.
Generic Medications: Are they as good as brand name medications?
A generic medication is bioequivalent to its brand name version in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, how it works, and what it is intended for. Bioequivalent means that two drugs with the same active ingredient work in the same way and in the same amount of time.
How does a medication become generic?
Brand name drug manufacturers have to complete a new drug application (NDA) on every medication. The manufacturer has to spend money on research and development of the medication, which consists of expensive animal and clinical trials to prove the medication is safe and effective. Once the NDA is approved it has a patent saying only the manufacturer that got the NDA approved can provide the medication for a certain period of time. The patent allows the original brand name manufacturer to make money to pay for further research and development. When a brand name medication loses its patent and a company wants to make a generic equivalent then the manufacturer has to submit an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA). The ANDA allows a drug company to make the generic without repeating the expensive animal and clinical trials the brand name manufacturer had to complete. During the ANDA the manufacturer has to prove that their generic form has met the following:
- It has the same active ingredients as the brand name medication
- it is the same in strength, dosage form, and route of administration as the brand name medication
- it is used for the same reasons as the brand name medication
- it is bioequivalent to the brand name medication
- it met the same requirements for mass production in identity, strength, purity, and quality as the brand name medication
- the was manufactured under the FDA’s good manufacturing practice regulations
The difference between generic and brand name medication is the inactive ingredients. So a small percentage of the population with sensitivities to different things might not be able to use certain manufacturers’ generic formulations, for example if one manufacturer uses a certain dye.
Are generic medications safe?
Yes, generic medications are safe because they have to be approved by the FDA and follow all of their manufacturing regulations in the same way brand name medications do. In fact, a lot of the same manufacturers make both generic and brand name medications (in some cases the generic looks exactly like the brand name medication). There are a few medications with a narrow therapeutic index (Synthroid, Coumadin, Digoxin, and seizure medications) that when a patient is controlled on either the brand or generic version it is sometimes better to stay with what the form they are controlled on. However, switching is possible with monitoring by the patient and the doctor.
When to ask for generic medications?
Generic medications do cost less and usually (some narrow therapeutic medications do not) work as effectively as the brand name. So anytime you start a new medication is a good time to ask for a generic equivalent. Generic alternatives help you get the medicine you need while saving money to enjoy more in life.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. FDA. Understanding Generic Drugs[updated 2009 July 22; cited 2009 Nov 4]. Available from: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/UnderstandingGenericDrugs/default.htm
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