Empire Plan Mail Service Pharmacy Relocates

Express Scripts, Inc. (ESI), which administers the Empire Plan Prescription Drug Program, has announced that their mail service fulfillment functions are moving from Troy, New York to Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Fulfillment functions include receipt, opening and scanning of prescription orders, dispensing the actual medication, and packaging and mailing the final order. The ESI Troy operation will maintain responsibility for "prescription processing," which includes inputting prescriptions, calling physicians, verifying eligibility, administering the clinical programs and physician/patient contact.

The relocation was planned in order to accommodate the anticipated increase in mail service prescriptions generated by the negotiated benefit changes effective January 1, 2005. The Bensalem operation is in a larger, state-of-the-art facility which is expected to generate additional savings for the Empire Plan.

Members may notice the following changes:

• The prescription number will change after the patient orders a refill, but patients will still be able to order their refills using the old number.
• The mailing address will change after the patient orders a refill. ESI will include a Bensalem- addressed order envelope in the refill order packet. Patients can still use the Troy mailing envelopes since these scripts can be electronically routed to Bensalem.
• Patients can still drop off their prescriptions at the Troy location, but the order will be shipped to the patient's home from Pennsylvania.

One temporary problem related to the move involves the  ESI web site, which many members use to refill their prescriptions. Until March 19, 2005, some prescriptions are being filled in Troy and some are being filled in Bensalem. If a member has had prescriptions filled by both facilities and tries to order a refill online, the prescriptions filled in Bensalem will not appear in the "prescription history" section of the "order status" feature on the ESI web site. This makes it impossible to order a refill of the prescription online. Until the relocation to Bensalem is complete on March 19, order refills by mail or by using ESI's toll-free customer service line at 1-800-964-1888.