Full-time university students are guaranteed unlimited visits to the student health center, but medication purchases depend on prescription card plans.
Steve Grasson, assistant director of Student Health Services, said students can receive medicine from the dispensary with prescription cards, many of which are accepted.
“Currently, prescription card processing is available for over 1,000 types of coverage and most students with prescription cards can have their medications obtained by Student Health,” Grasson stated in an e-mail message.
Aetna prescription cards are not accepted at the dispensary, he said.
Last semester, senior Bill Yanchulis said he tried to use his Aetna prescription card at the dispensary for medication and was unable to.
At the time, he had zoster, more commonly known as shingles. He said a university physician prescribed Valtrex, which is known for treating genital herpes, but is also proven to speed the healing of shingles, according to Valtrex’s Web site.
Yanchulis said his Aetna prescription card was not accepted at the health center’s dispensary, so he purchased the medication at full price.
“I bought it for $140 from the health center,” Yachulis said.
Grasson said the dispensary provides prescription medications only if they are written by university physicians or nurse practitioners.
“Our nursing staff are allowed to dispense medications on the Student Health formulary to our patients who have prescriptions written by Student Health physicians and nurse practitioners only,” Grasson said.
He said the dispensary provides pre-packaged medications purchased from A-S Medication Solutions, a medication dispensing company, which decides which prescription cards to accept.
“Most students with prescription plans can use their cards in the dispensary, but a few cannot if A-S Medication Solutions has not been able to negotiate a contract with the prescription plan,” he said.
Direndia Shackelford, managed care specialist at A-S Medication Solutions, said her company has worked with the university since August 1996.
In addition to providing medications, tools and necessary software to mainly physician offices, she said her company also allows offices and dispensaries access to third party payer agreements in order to bill insurance companies.
Shackelford said Aetna prescription cards are not accepted at the university’s dispensary due to an Aetna policy citing that only Aetna medical providers can dispense medications.
“Aetna’s requirement for enrolling our dispensing physicians is that the physician must be a contracted Aetna medical provider,” Shackelford stated in an e-mail message.
Grasson said if a student’s prescription card is not accepted at the dispensary, he or she can obtain their medication from a pharmacy.
“In the few cases where a student's card is not processed by A-S Medication Solutions, the student is directed to an area pharmacy and can usually have their prescription filled at that location,” he said.
Gary Stokes, director of risk management and rental housing, said student health insurance is optional for all students. He said prescription cards and student health insurance are separate topics.
“Student health insurance provides very little pharmaceutical benefits,” Stokes said.
He is not involved in the pharmacy aspect, he said.
Full-time students must pay a health fee which allows them unlimited visits to the health center, and part-time matriculated students can elect to pay this fee, according to Student Health Service's Web site
Stokes said the student insurance program at the university is provided by Nationwide Insurance. He said this is the university’s sole insurance program, but students can also opt for student health plans with independent insurance companies on their own.
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