Montgomery County offers drug discounts

PHOTOGRAPHER: Edward Munger Jr.

Montgomery County residents could save as much as 40 percent on the cost of prescription medications using a new discount card officials are making available through the county.

Montgomery County Personnel Officer Richard Baia said the cards, issued through CVS/Caremark, are similar to the discounts offered recently to residents in Fulton County but from a different source.

Fulton County rolled out similar cards last month, suggesting that the program offers savings of between 10 and 20 percent for brand name drugs and up to 50 percent for generic prescriptions.

The discount cards cannot be used along with health insurance prescription drug discounts, but they will work for people without health insurance and for pharmaceuticals not covered by health insurance, Baia said.

“As long as they have a prescription and they go to a pharmacy, it’s covered,” Baia said.

The county’s Board of Supervisors approved offering the cards earlier this year after learning there is no cost, Baia said.

Baia said he learned about the offerings through vendors at a New York State Association of Counties meeting.

Baia said it’s his understanding that the federal government reimburses pharmacies and CVS/Caremark for the discounts.

Participating pharmacies listed on the county’s Web site link include CVS, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart and others.

The state late last year made discount drug cards available online. Produced by Louisiana-based United Networks of America, the New York Rx card provided an average savings of 32 percent on pharmaceuticals, accompanying information claims.

Those cards can be obtained on the Internet at www.newyorkrxcard.com.

Montgomery County residents can also print out a discount drug card by visiting the county’s Web site at www.co.montgomery.ny.us.

Baia said the cards, 11,000 in all, are being made available at the offices of village and town clerks throughout the county and at the Montgomery County and Amsterdam city clerks’ offices.