Jay Casper This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. The Central New York Business Journal

   www.cnybj.com/fullstory.cfm?ar - [Cached]

   Published on: 12/25/2005   Last Visited: 12/25/2005

   For hospitals, generics are generally the preferred option, says Jay Casper, pharmacy manager at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse. If there is a generic version of a drug available, it's almost always used at St. Joseph's, Casper says.
   
   The hospital does, however, honor patient requests for brands. It also will sometimes stick with a brand name if it has been used in an emergency situation to stabilize a patient.
   
   Occasionally, physicians will also request a brand-name drug for a specific medical reason, Casper adds.
   
   In addition to doctors, pharmacists, and patients themselves, employers also play a role in encouraging generic use, Excellus's Owerbach says.
   
   Excellus encourages employers to design their plans with incentives for employees who use generics, he adds.
   
   "It's important employers have benefits that clearly enlist their employees to watch cost," he says.