Doctors in New York State, as of March 27, are required to send prescriptions to the pharmacy. Electronic prescribing (“e-prescribing”) will improve medication safety, reduce errors (the pharmacy won’t have to interpret your doctor’s handwriting) and may help to reduce medical costs due to adverse drug interactions caused by the pharmacist giving the wrong drug. 

But the new process also will create challenges at first. That’s why it is important for UFT members to know how best to navigate the change when visiting their doctor. 

UFT members have several ID numbers for different prescription drug programs as part of their health coverage. The doctor must use the correct ID number for electronic prescriptions to be correctly processed. UFT members can help ensure the correct number is used. 

Let’s look at a typical GHI-CBP member and four different drugs that he or she could possibly be prescribed: a diabetes drug, an antibiotic, a drug for contraception and a chemotherapy cancer drug.

• The diabetes drug is covered via the member’s city health plan, and so a GHI member must tell his or her doctor to use the member’s GHI ID number.
• The antibiotic is covered via the UFT Welfare Fund prescription drug program, and so the doctor must use the UFT Welfare Fund ID number.
• The contraception drug will be covered as of July 1 from GHI at no copay, and so the doctor must use the member’s GHI ID number.
• Finally, the chemotherapy cancer drug is covered via the New York City PICA program, and so the doctor would have to use that ID number.

So how do you help ensure your doctor submits the correct ID number? Here are some tips:

• Create on your smartphone (which travels with you to your doctor visit) a list of each of your health plan ID numbers.
• Have your doctor’s office place those same numbers in your electronic medical record.
• When your doctor or medical office personnel notify you that they are submitting a prescription for you, it is imperative that you tell them which ID number to use in the electronic transmission.
• Finally, if you are told a drug prescription has been rejected, the first question you should ask is: “Under which ID number was it processed?”

As always, the UFT Welfare Fund staff and their pharmacists are available to assist you and answer your questions.