Prescription discount cards saving thousands for Broome County residents
By Nancy Dooling PressConnects.com
November 14, 2009
Broome County residents have saved $88,988 on their prescriptions since late September when free discount cards arrived in the mail.
"I think it reflects the hardships of what people are experiencing," said Joseph Sanfilippo, chairman of the Broome County Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee.
More than 91,000 cards were mailed to Broome residents the last week of September. Since then, the cards have been used 3,151 times. Prescriptions cost an average of 46 percent less each time the card is used. That's a savings of $28.24 per use, compared to non-member costs, the Binghamton legislator said.
The best part of the program is that it's free for users and for Broome taxpayers, Sanfilippo said.
The cards are offered through a partnership with ProAct Inc., a division of Kinney Drug Inc. A nationwide network of 55,000 participating pharmacies shares the costs. All Southern Tier pharmacies are part of the program, Sanfilippo said.
In return, the pharmacies benefit from having more shoppers in the store, Sanfilippo said.
Users don't have to fill out enrollment forms or pay membership fees, and there are no income requirements. However, the cards cannot be used with a user's existing prescription program that covers his medication.
The program is of greatest benefit to people who pay out-of-pocket for prescriptions, Sanfilippo said. The card also can be used for pet medication if the medication can also be prescribed for human use.
Locally, the prescription program seems to be popular. Saratoga County, which has about the same population as Broome, started its ProAct prescription program at the beginning of September. Its savings level is $59,387, said Chris Marion, a legislative aide to the Broome County Legislature.
Prescription cards are available at local pharmacies and at Broome County agencies, including the local Department of Motor Vehicle offices. Cards can also be printed from the ProAct Web site at www.proactrx.com.