Prescription antihistamine ZYRTEC® will no longer be covered under Aetna’s standard pharmacy benefit plans

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that ZYRTEC® (cetirizine HCl) and ZYRTEC-D 12 Hour® (cetirizine HCL/pseudoephedrine HCl) are safe enough to be available to consumers over the counter. Because of that change, prescription ZYRTEC and ZYRTEC-D will no longer be covered under most Aetna pharmacy benefits as of January 24, or when supplies of ZYRTEC OTC are available in stores.

How Aetna is communicating to our constituents:

• Members: In February, we are offering an educational mailing to members¹ who have filled a prescription for a non-sedating antihistamine in the last 12 months to inform them of this change and provide them with information about options for treating their symptoms. The letter will also include a $5.00 coupon for ZYRTEC OTC from its manufacturer, McNeil Consumer Healthcare.²
  
  Our goal is to help educate our members about the change in coverage of these prescription drugs, to encourage them to discuss with their doctors other treatment alternatives for allergy symptoms, and help members control their healthcare expenses.
  
  
• Plan Sponsors: We have created a letter for participating plan sponsors to make them aware of the FDA’s determination and to inform them about how we are communicating to Aetna members who may be affected by the situation.

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