Reminder: In-house pharmacies offer hundreds of low-cost and free medications to employees on WVU Medicine insurance

Although more than 1,000 new employees joined WVU Medicine in 2016, sometimes even long-time employees don’t know about the hundreds of free and low-cost drugs offered to Highmark-insured staff at the Medical Center and Mountaineer pharmacies.

Medical Center Pharmacy Director David Flynn says employees who are not customers are “always surprised” to discover the advantages of WVU Medicine’s services over retail stores. One of the most significant advantages is the cost savings.

An employee with years of experience who didn’t know about the pharmacies recently did some comparison shopping and found four medications that totaled $1,000 retail were available for $25 through WVU Medicine, Flynn said.

Flynn noted that more than 300 common medications, including drugs to combat diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and depression, are available at no cost for patients on the institution’s insurance plan, Highmark. All other medications are available at a discounted rate compared to retailers, including costly medications, which Mountaineer or Medical Center Pharmacy can usually offer at a much lower price. An employee recently bought a generic version of a drug for 27 cents, he said.

“With all of the new employees we’ve hired, it’s a good time to remind staff about our low prices and other advantages, like the free delivery service,” Flynn said. “The cost saving can amount to savings of hundreds to thousands of dollars a year. And unlike chain stores, employees can pay for their medications through payroll deduction.”

Making low-cost medications available to employees contributes to their overall well-being and reduces sick days, Flynn said.

The pharmacies offer convenience in a variety of ways, most notably through same-day delivery service for WVU Medicine staff, which includes all employees on campus or within a 15-mile radius of J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.

Employees can order through CONNECT, the pharmacies' website, or by calling 304-598-4848.

More information about the WVU Medicine pharmacies is available here.