Blue Cross: Customers saved $3.4 million under generic drug program

DETROIT - Customers of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan saved $3.4 million on their prescriptions under the company&#39;s generic drug promotion, the state&#39;s largest insurance provider said Monday. <br> <br> The program, which ran from October to December 2001, encouraged Blue Cross&#39; 4.5 million customers in Michigan to use generic drugs rather than more expensive brand-name medicines. <br> <br> Generic drugs can shave as much as 70 percent from the cost of brand-name medications that have the same quality and effectiveness, the Detroit-based insurance company said. <br> <br> Based on the savings generated during the promotion, Blue Cross said its customers could save $25 million a year if they continued to use generic drugs. <br> <br> Grand Value Drugs of Detroit and national drug store chain Rite Aid sold the most generic drugs under Blue Cross&#39; promotion last year. They will be featured in a $1 million advertising campaign to promote the use of generic drugs beginning next month, Blue Cross said. <br> <br> Blue Cross hopes to increase the amount of generic drugs dispensed by pharmacists by one to two percentage points a year, the company said. <br>