WSU Spokane Pharmacy Students Help Make Sense of Medicare Part D

Spokane, Wash. – Students in Washington State University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program stand ready to help seniors and others who qualify for Medicare Part D, along with their family members, sort out their options for prescription benefits. From Dec. 20-Jan. 6, student volunteers at the Spokane campus will review prescriptions and utilize the official Medicare Web site to develop comparisons of the top plans that cover an individual’s current medications.

The half-hour appointments will generally be available 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the computer lab of the Health Sciences Building on the Riverpoint campus, 310 N. Riverpoint Blvd. To make an appointment, call student organizer Cris Duvall, 509-389-9922. Clients need to bring a list of their current prescriptions.

“People who don’t have access to a computer, or who don’t want to wait two hours on hold when they call the 800 number, can come to us for help in seeing what plans will meet their needs,” says student organizer Cris DuVall. “It’s important for them to act as soon as possible to get coverage established, since their current coverage may run out at the end of December.”

DuVall added that the students are not selling any plans, and will not sign anyone up for anything. Clients will receive a printout comparing up to three plans at a time that they can take away and study before reaching a final decision.

About the WSU College of Pharmacy

The WSU College of Pharmacy graduates approximately 90 students each year from its accredited professional pharmacy degree program. Another 15 to 20 students are enrolled in the pharmacology/toxicology graduate degrees program. The Department of Health Policy & Administration in the College of Pharmacy, headquartered at WSU Spokane, enrolls around 60 students, with 15-20 graduating each year from its accredited master’s in health policy and administration degree program.

The College of Pharmacy has been serving the residents of Washington state since 1892. In addition to their teaching responsibilities in the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program, faculty in the Department of Pharmacotherapy have clinical practices in hospitals, medical clinics, mental health centers, nursing homes and other health care institutions in Spokane, Yakima, Pullman and Moscow, Idaho.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Cris DuVall can be available Saturday, Dec. 17, after 2:30 p.m. to demonstrate the service. Call her directly to schedule: 389-9922.

Web sites:
WSU College of Pharmacy: www.pharmacy.wsu.edu
WSU Spokane: www.spokane.wsu.edu