Think of it as product guarantees by the drug industry. This new contract promotes medication adherence to better control blood sugar levels for people with Type 2 diabetes...
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CIGNA announced that it has reached an agreement with Merck & Co., Inc., that is unique in the industry. The agreement will benefit CIGNA customers through increased discounts on Merck's oral anti-diabetes medications Januvia® and Janumet®. These drugs are used in conjunction with diet and exercise to improve glycemic (blood sugar) control in adults with Type 2 diabetes, a condition that has reached epidemic proportions in the United States.
Eric Elliott, president of CIGNA Pharmacy Management stated that, "Merck should be recognized as the first major pharmaceutical company to offer increased discounts on its oral anti-diabetic products, supporting CIGNA's efforts to reduce A1c levels for individuals with diabetes, regardless of what medication they may be taking."
CIGNA will review available A1c lab values for people taking any oral anti-diabetic medications, and, if at the end of the year, A1c values have improved, the discounts Merck offers on Januvia and Janumet will increase. In an effort to help improve medication adherence, CIGNA will also review claims data for individuals with CIGNA pharmacy benefits who are on Januvia or Janumet during that same time period to determine if these individuals are taking the medications as prescribed by their physicians. If they are, Merck will increase the discounts it offers CIGNA on these medications even more. These savings can be shared in various ways with CIGNA's customers. CIGNA said it encouraged its customers to adopt medication adherence programs as an effective way to improve health and lower healthcare costs.
"Merck is pleased to partner with CIGNA on this novel program to help encourage people with diabetes to achieve their blood sugar goals. We are confident in the value of both Januvia and Janumet, and the benefits they offer to the individuals that CIGNA serves," said Sethu Reddy, M.D., Merck, regional director for scientific affairs.
Both companies agreed that aligning all of the incentives behind improving the health of individuals is one of the most effective ways to achieve long-term health.
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