In today’s market, ibuprofen is available in a variety of strengths, either prescription or over the counter (OTC), including 100, 200, 400, 600, and 800 mg. Then in July, Sola Pharmaceuticals released a new 300 mg option with a prescription price tag in excess of $1,000 per script/per month.
With no real clinical advantage over previously available options, and the ability to create the same strength by combining or cutting the other strengths, ODG questioned the need for this new dose and will exclude it from Appendix A of the upcoming ODG Formulary update to be released October 3rd.
The 300 mg option is distributed by, among others, medication wholesaler Republic Pharmaceuticals, who posted on its website that the new dosage option, “offers more flexibility for patients who need relief beyond OTC dosing but may not tolerate high-dose NSAIDs.”
The wholesaler also describes how the 300 mg option creates a valuable financial opportunity for independent pharmacies in states such as California and New York to improve margins without compromising patient care.
Described on their website as “a limited-distribution NSAID with high AWP, strong margins, and protection from marketplace price erosion,” Republic Pharmaceuticals states that, “because it’s not listed on B2B marketplaces like Trxade or EZRIRx, you won’t be competing with deep discounters. That means stronger margins, fewer pricing headaches, and more predictable returns on every bottle dispensed.”
The ODG recognized the lack of clinical need for, the high cost of, and the financial motives behind the 300 mg ibuprofen option and has opted to exclude it from Appendix A of its formulary. All other strengths of ibuprofen will continue to be covered as Y drugs. With this ODG move, there is hope that other states with state-mandated formularies will take notice and act accordingly.
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MyMatrixx by Evernorth Actions
MyMatrixx maintains ODG-based formularies for workers' compensation drugs and will update them as changes are released. For any questions, please reach out to your MyMatrixx account team.
For more information on the new 300 mg ibuprofen, please refer to the Republic Pharmaceuticals website. Ibuprofen 300 mg Medi-Cal | For California Pharmacies