Fluoxetine and MassHealth Drug List ChangesAs many of you may know, PCHI has issued a guideline that asks physicians to first consider generic fluoxetine for patients starting on antidepressant therapy. It is not
recommended to switch patients to fluoxetine who are doing well on another SSRI. Also, if patients are not responding to fluoxetine after several weeks of therapy and trails
of higher dosages, other agents should be used. PCHI issued this guideline because of fluoxetine’s effectiveness in patients on mutliple medications; use in children; effectiveness for depression, OCD and bulimia; and its proven safety and tolerability in a vast majority of patients at low cost. For further information on MassHealth coverage, please contact your PCHI pharmacist at 781-433-3600.
Effective May 1, changes were implemented within the MassHealth drug listAn "Antidepressent PA Request Form" needs to be completed for drugs, which are not covered (*not Covered column).
CLASS | COVERED DRUG | *NOT COVERED |
Antidepressants | Fluoxetine Fluvoxamine Buproprion Trazodone Wellbutin SR
| Celexa Lexapro Paxil Zoloft Serzone Effexor Remeron (including generic)
|
ACEI’s | Generics: Captopril (+/- HCTZ) Enalapril (+/- HCTZ) Lisinopril (+/- HCTZ)
| Accupril Aceon Altace Lotensin Mavik Monopril Univasc Other ACEI/HCTV combo products
|
ARB’s | None | Cozaar Diovan Avapro Benicar Atacand Teveten ARB/HCTV combo products
|
Calcium Channel Blockers | Generics: Diltiazem Verapamil Nifedipine Nicardipine Nimotop (nimodipine)
| Norvasc Dynacirc Plendil Sular CCB/ACEI combo products |
Beta Blockers | All generics, commonly: Metoprolol Atenolol
| Coreg Cartrol Levatol |
Alpha-1 Blockers | Generics: Doxazosin Terazosin Prazosin
| Flomax |