Medicare’s GLP-1 Bridge program is seeing early uptake at major retail pharmacies, with CVS and Walgreens each filling about 100,000 prescriptions less than two months after the program launched in July, according to an Aug. 26 NPR report.
“We expected there would be uptake,” Walgreens’ chief pharmacy officer Rick Gates told NPR. “I think there’s been a little bit more uptake than we even expected.”
Walgreens stocked additional Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo ahead of the launch but has not experienced supply issues. Walmart said Bridge prescriptions have also increased week over week and have been filled at more than 5,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies nationwide.
The Bridge program allows eligible Medicare beneficiaries to access obesity drugs for $50 a month and is set to run through the end of 2027. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, said July 29 that 250,000 beneficiaries had signed up, though it was unclear how many had received the prior authorization required to fill prescriptions.
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