Prescription drug coverage updates and recalls
From time to time, a health insurance plan’s formulary—the list of drugs selected by a health insurance company that represents medications believed to be a necessary part of a quality treatment program—is updated to add or remove medications. We’ve provided a list of past and present changes to help you determine if changes have been made concerning your prescriptions.
Changes to Geisinger Health Plan formularies
Check this page regularly to keep up with the latest changes to Geisinger Health Plan’s formularies.
New drugs are added to the formularies on a regular basis. These additions can be found in our member newsletters and are also posted here for your convenience.
Updates are provided in PDF format.
Formulary updates
May 2018
March 2018
January 2018
November 2017
September 2017
July 2017
May 2017
March 2017
January 2017
If we remove drugs from our formulary, or add prior authorization, quantity limits and/or step therapy restrictions on a drug or move a drug to a higher cost-sharing tier, we must notify affected members of the change (30 days for employer coverage and GHP Family; 60 days for other plans) before the change becomes effective, or at the time the member requests a refill of the drug.
If the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deems a drug on our formulary to be unsafe or the drug’s manufacturer removes the drug from the market, we will immediately remove the drug from our formulary and provide notice to members who take the drug.
Prescription drug recalls
Geisinger Health Plan promptly identifies and notifies members and their prescribing physicians when the FDA notifies us of a Class I or Class II drug recall. We send notifications to members who received the recalled medication using their pharmacy benefits.
Class I recall
This type of recall is in cases where there is a reasonable probability that use of, or exposure to, the medication will cause serious adverse health effects or death.
Class II recall
With this class of recall, a medication has been found to cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or in remote cases, serious adverse health effects.
The FDA website provides news about recent drug recalls, updates on market withdrawals of medications and safety alerts.
Related information
Learn more about Geisinger Health Plan.