Beneficiary co-payments for six more brand-name drugs will jump to $22 in July, Pentagon officials announced Wednesday.

The decision to move the drugs to Tricare's "third tier," or "nonformulary" status, was made by Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. The new prices for these medications will take effect July 26.

The drugs include:
o Detrol, Oxytrol and Sanctura, used to treat overactive bladder conditions.
o Lexxel and Tarka, used to treat hypertension.
o Lyrica, used to treat common forms of nerve pain.

Tricare separates medications in its formulary - the list of drugs approved for use through the military medical system - by price.

Medications on the first tier are generic drugs that carry a co-pay of $3 for a 30-day supply through retail network pharmacies, and $3 for a 90-day supply through the Tricare mail-order program.

On the second tier are brand-name drugs that have a co-pay of $9 for a 30-day supply through retail network pharmacies and the same co-pay for a 90-day supply through the Tricare mail-order program.

The third tier consists of nonformulary drugs that have a co-pay of $22 through both the retail and mail-order venues.

If a physician certifies that a third-tier drug is medically necessary to treat a specific individual, Tricare will drop the co-pay to $9.

The addition of six more drugs to nonformulary status is the latest in a series of moves by defense officials to hold down rising pharmacy costs by encouraging beneficiaries to use less expensive generic drugs whenever possible.