DoD Pharmacy to Electronically Publish Uniform Formulary Published June 5, 2008 FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- TRICARE announces that civilian providers will be able to receive the Department of Defense's Uniform Formulary electronically through RxHub. RxHub provides prescription information to Primary Care Managers. "This represents a significant step in DoD's vision to partner with the commercial E-prescribing industry," said Army Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, deputy director, TRICARE Management Activity. "It's the tip of the iceberg." The electronic formulary is an integral part of the commercial electronic prescribing environment in healthcare. It provides PCMs with formulary status, preferred therapeutic and generic alternatives, and coverage information such as co-payments and relative costs. The anticipated benefits of the DoD formulary in an electronic format include: providers having more accurate information about the DoD pharmacy benefit, fewer patients presenting non-formulary prescriptions to pharmacies, and improving quality of care as well as provider and beneficiary satisfaction. The electronic publication of the DoD formulary is the first step toward transmitting prescriptions electronically. DoD's ultimate goal is that all TRICARE providers and Managed Care Support Contractors will be able to send prescriptions electronically to all points of dispensing such as MTF, mail order and retail pharmacies. E-prescribing eliminates paper and allows providers to generate prescriptions electronically using a personal computer or a PDA. The DoD's E-prescribing initiative intends to leverage existing and future DoD systems and fully interface with existing commercial systems utilizing commercial standards. About TRICARE Management Activity and the Military Health System TRICARE Management Activity, the Defense Department activity that administers the health care plan for the uniformed services, retirees and their families, serves more than 9.1 million eligible beneficiaries worldwide in the Military Health System (MHS). The mission of the MHS is to enhance Department of Defense and national security by providing health support for the full range of military operations. The MHS provides quality medical care through a network of providers, military treatment facilities, medical clinics and dental clinics worldwide. For more about the MHS go to www.health.mil.