Perkins Drug and Gifts

05/19/2025

Happy BELATED Birthday to the one and only… Bailey Kerns!!!! Sorry the loser owner failed you yesterday on your actual birthday!

05/02/2025

Someone is having a birthday at Perkins Drug today!!! Happy Birthday Judy Spillars!!

03/05/2025

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!
I have finally been able to renegotiate the contract with Express Scripts to include Perkins Drug in their 90-day network. In the next couple of weeks, we should be able to go back to filling your prescriptions for 90 days at a time if you prefer. This should include BCBS, Med D BCBS, Med D Cigna and Med D Wellcare. Thank you for your patience and sticking with us (30 days at a time) while this process played out.

02/18/2025

Perkins Drug will be closing today at 4PM due to the weather.

02/02/2025

Congratulations to Perkins Drug’s very own, Krisalyn Fields!!! Basketball Homecoming Queen 2025!

01/03/2025

***UPDATE to the update!!**
I was able to get a contract emailed to me this morning and got it signed and returned. They have already activated Perkins Drug and we are back in the network.***

Contracting update. Today when we started processing prescriptions for SilverScript we started getting rejections for state retirees and employees. Despite being told on multiple occasions by my contracting agency that our Healthchoice/SilverScript patients would be covered, and that the letter from Caremark stating we were not in network was sent out in error... turns out they were mistaken and that we are currently not in network.
I have sent emails to Caremark today requesting a direct, independent contract but I am unsure how long this process will take. So, for now, we will do the best we can with the situation and attempt very fair cash prices or we can transfer your prescriptions to another pharmacy until we have some resolution. I apologize for this inconvenience; I was reassured no less than 5 times that we would definitely be in network on SilverScript. I was even told this morning when I called about the rejections, that it was an administrative issue within Caremark/Aetna that they were working to resolve the error. Then later today, I received an email stating:

"In December of 2024, you may have been informed that your state’s retiree group plan was contracted under our Aetna Medicare Part D contract for 2025. It has since come to our attention that these plans will actually process under the Caremark Medicare Part D 2025 Network for which we are not contracted. Unless you hold a direct Caremark Medicare Part D contract for 2025, you will be out of network for your state’s retiree group plans."

We are still contracted on the Med D SilverScript platform so we can do regular SilverScript, just specifically not the plan for retired teachers and state employees. It seems Caremark holds that specific contract under the Caremark side of their business, unlike the normal Medicare plan that is under the Aetna side of the business.

Steve

11/25/2024

***UPDATE: I do have confirmation from my contracting agency that we are definitely contracted with Medicare Part D for Aetna which includes SilverScript. They are reaching out to them as to why these letters were sent out in error***

I have had multiple calls and texts regarding a notification that was sent out regarding Med D SilverScript that states Perkins Drug will not be a provider for 2025. I believe this is an error. Although we did decline all contracts through Caremark, SilverScript is administered by Aetna (as you will see on your card). Aetna is a division inside of Caremark. My contracting company was able to negotiate a contract directly with Aetna for us to remain in network for SilverScript. The letter appears to have come from Caremark, so I think there is some sort of disconnect in communication within their organization. I have emails out and am waiting for clarification, but for now I do not think there is a reason for panic.
I will update as soon as I find out more information.
Steve

11/18/2024

Medicare Part D update:
We are now contracted with Med D Wellcare. Therefore we are able to accept ALL Med D plans offered in our area. Thanks for your patience during this contracting period.

10/24/2024

Insurance update:
This week I received news from Express Scripts that Perkins Drug had been approved for their "rural network program". This program helps ensure their rural customers continue to have access to a local pharmacy. The contract rates were such that I felt we could move forward with Express Scripts, so those contracts have been accepted and we should now be back in network for all Express Scripts plans, both on the commercial and Medicare side. This will mean we will be able to accept Oklahoma BCBS, Med D BCBS and Med D Cigna. The only drawback is the contracts are only for 30 day supplies, so you will not be able to obtain a 90 day supply of your mediations.
This latest contract means that if you are looking at Medicare Part D during this open enrollment period we will be contracted on everything except the CVS Caremark product which is Med D Wellcare. If you are currently on a Wellcare plan and want to continue using Perkins Drug as your pharmacy, you will need to find another plan for 2025.
To recap, we will be on these Medicare plans for 2025:
Med D AARP
Med D Humana
Med D SilverScript
Med D Blue Cross Blue Shield
Med D Cigna
This contract will also allow us to continue to serve our Oklahoma Blue Cross Blue Shield commercial customers.

Side note: my friends in Stillwater that own pharmacies are not eligible for the rural contract and are still trying to negotiate fair and reasonable contracts. They are having to decide whether to decline the contracts which will reimburse below cost and potentially lose their customers or accept the horrible contracts and lose money in order to continue to serve their customers, friends, and families.
Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they work through this difficult decision.

Thank you all for the kind comments and the loyalty you have shown to Perkins Drug over the last few weeks as we have tried to navigate this challenge. What an amazing community!

10/19/2024

UPDATE!!!!
Finally a bit of good news. We were able to execute an agreement and are now able to accept SilverScript. This will allow us to continue to serve Med D SilverScript patients and retired state employees and teachers.
So to recap, we are now contracted with Med D Humana, Med D AARP And Med D SilverScript.
I have heard Medicare is supposed to apply an update this weekend and Medicare.gov should be correct on Monday. We shall see!

The official U.S. government website for Medicare, a health insurance program for people age 65 or older and younger people with disabilities.

10/15/2024

BE AWARE!!!
Medicare open enrollment starts today and runs through December 7th.
Despite notifying CVS Caremark April 13, 2024 and double checking in September and receiving confirmation they had my opt-out for 2025… they still show Perkins Drug as “In Network”.
The same thing is happening with Express Scripts. Our contract officially ended with them on August 27, 2024 but they have us locked into an additional 120 day grace period that was written into that expired contract. So it goes away December 27, 2024
Despite what is shown on Medicare.gov we are currently NOT contracted with SilverScript, WellCare, Blue Cross, or Cigna!
We ARE in network on the Med D AARP plans as well as Humana if you are looking to change plans to stay with Perkins Drug.
It would appear that neither of them notified Medicare and we (as well as several other independent pharmacies I have spoken with) didn’t get removed from the network files. I have my thoughts about that, but I will refrain!
Long story short. If you are going to an insurance agent or looking at Medicare.gov yourself, don’t be fooled!!
As always, I will post any changes.
Steve

The official U.S. government website for Medicare, a health insurance program for people age 65 or older and younger people with disabilities.

09/30/2024

Happy Belated Birthday to Janet Haynes! In the madness of the weekend I forgot to post it yesterday!!! Special shout out to Bailey Kerns for making the delicious cake!!