Generic Allergy Medications

Did you know that more than 35 million people in the United States suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever)?  The common symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis are watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, and itchy eyes and nose.

Some of the common medications used to treat seasonal allergic rhinitis include antihistamines, decongestants, and inhaled nasal steroids.

Medco, the pharmacy benefit manager for the City of Mesa’s health plans, has announced that two popular medications used for allergy treatment, AllegraÒ (fexofenadine) tablets and FlonaseÒ (fluticasone) nasal spray will now be available as generics.  These developments may reduce the cost of treating many patients for the upcoming allergy season.

In 2005, approximately 4% of Medco’s client drug costs were in the allergy category.

Participants on the City of Mesa medical plans who use AllegraÒ and/or FlonaseÒ may want to ask their providers about switching to the generic versions.

If you have any questions, please contact either Employee Benefits at 480-644-2299, Medco Customer Service at
1-800-711-0917, or visit www.medco.com.