FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Do you need to fill or refill a prescription? You have four pharmacy options for filling your prescription: military pharmacies, TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery, TRICARE retail network pharmacies, and non-network pharmacies.

However, the drug you need and who you are may affect where you can get your prescription, as described in the TRICARE Pharmacy Program Handbook. Your out-of-pocket costs may also vary. You can learn more about availability, coverage, and costs for your drug with the TRICARE Formulary Search Tool.

“The TRICARE Formulary Search Tool can help you choose a pharmacy option,” said U.S. Public Health Service Cmdr. Teisha Robertson, a pharmacist with the Defense Health Agency’s Pharmacy Operations Division. “You can learn where you can get your prescription and compare the copayment for your drug at each pharmacy option. This can help you choose an option with a lower out-of-pocket cost.”

Before you take a trip to the pharmacy, take a moment to learn about your options.

Military Pharmacies

When you use a military pharmacy, you can get up to a 90-day supply of covered drugs with no copayment or cost-share. Most military pharmacies fill prescriptions from both military and civilian providers. To use an overseas military pharmacy, your prescription must be from an authorized, licensed health care provider.

Some drugs aren’t available at military pharmacies. You can use the formulary search tool and contact your nearest military pharmacy to check if they carry the drug you need.

TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery

Home delivery is a convenient way to get prescription drugs you take on a regular basis. You can get up to a 90-day supply of your drug mailed to you with free standard shipping. Active duty service members (ADSMs) can use home delivery at no cost. All other eligible beneficiaries will have a copayment.

Home delivery will ship to any address in the U.S. and U.S. territories. This includes APO and FPO addresses. You can use home delivery overseas (except in Germany) if you have an APO, FPO, or DPO address.

Learn more about home delivery, including how to sign up.

TRICARE Retail Network Pharmacies

ADSMs can fill prescriptions at retail network pharmacies at no cost. All other eligible beneficiaries can get up to a 30-day supply of a covered drug for one copayment or up to a 90-day supply for three copayments. But if the cost of your drug at a retail network pharmacy is less than the copayment amount, you’ll pay the lower cost. You can use the Price a Medication Tool to compare costs at retail pharmacies.

Retail network pharmacies can be a convenient way to fill your prescription quickly, but there may be limitations. Use the formulary search tool to learn if any of these limitations apply to your drug:

• Maintenance drugs: If you aren’t an ADSM, you can’t refill certain maintenance drugs after two refills at retail network pharmacies. If you live in the U.S. or U.S. territories, you must refill them at a military pharmacy or through home delivery after two refills.
• Non-formulary drugs: There are some non-formulary drugs that TRICARE only covers through home delivery.
• Tobacco cessation products: TRICARE doesn’t cover tobacco cessation products purchased at retail network or non-network pharmacies. If you’re eligible for these products, you must get them at a military pharmacy or through home delivery.

Use the Find a Pharmacy Tool to find a TRICARE retail network pharmacy in the U.S. or U.S. territories. There are no network pharmacies in American Samoa or overseas.

Non-Network Pharmacies

At non-network pharmacies, you’ll pay full price for your prescription up front. Then you can file a claim for reimbursement. Reimbursements are subject to cost-shares, copayments, deductibles, and other costs.

Overseas pharmacies are non-network pharmacies. You must pay full price for your prescription and file a claim with International SOS for reimbursement. If you live in the Philippines, you must fill your prescription at a certified pharmacy. For help with overseas pharmacies, call International SOS.

To learn more about your pharmacy benefit, visit TRICARE Pharmacy Program. Don’t forget you can use the Express Scripts Pharmacy mobile app to manage your prescriptions. If you have questions or need help, call Express Scripts.

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