Orange County NC Website
<br />~~ National Association ofCountie$ <br />Tt al(stn~ is xvitl.: cap e" <br />The Voice ofAmerica s Counties <br />NACo PRESCRIPTION DISCOUNT CARD PROGRAM <br />FACT SHEET <br />What It Is: The NACo drug discount card program helps consumers save money on their prescription <br />medications any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance. The free cards are <br />distributed in the sponsoring county and may be used at any participating retail pharmacy. The <br />discount card is not insurance. <br />Savings: Savings average 20 percent; some discounts may be more, and some less, depending on the <br /> drug and quantity purchased. Cardholders are eligible for higher discounts on a three-month <br /> supply of some medications through mail service. Cardholders also can save on pet prescriptions <br /> at participating retail pharmacies. <br />Who It's For: The cards may be used by all county residents, regardless of age, income or existing health <br /> coverage. There is no enrollment form, no membership fee and no restrictions or limits on <br /> frequency of use. Cardholders and their family members may use the card any time their <br /> prescriptions are not covered by insurance. <br />What It Costs: Unlike many other card programs, there is no enrollment cost or membership fee. The cardholder <br /> pays the negotiated discount price or the pharmacy's retail price, whichever is lower. The average <br /> discount is 20 percent. <br />Participating More than 57,000 pharmacies nationwide accept the card, including most chain <br />Pharmacies: pharmacies and many independents. Wal-Mart pharmacies participate in the program. <br />Additional The program has a safety feature that alerts pharmacists when one drug may conflict with <br />Benefits: another medication the cardholder is taking, if the prescriptions were obtained with the NACo <br /> discount card. <br /> The NACo discount card program remains a useful option now that Medicare Part D has been <br /> implemented. For example, the card can be used when a Medicare Part D plan doesn't cover a <br /> drug. <br />About The program is administered by Caremark Rx, Inc., a leading pharmaceutical services company <br />Caremark: with broad experience in managing drug discount card programs for sponsoring clients. Caremark <br /> negotiates with pharmacies to offer a discount off their retail prices. Most pharmacies contract to <br /> participate because it draws customers to their stores. Caremark derives revenue from the <br /> program in the form of a small fee that the pharmacy pays on each transaction. The fee is a small <br /> fraction of the total transaction amount. <br />Discount Rebates: Few manufacturers pay rebates on the discount card program. Caremark shares a <br />Card Details portion of the rebate with the consumer at the point of sale via an increased discount. The retail <br />pharmacy is reimbursed for this additional discount. <br />Data Collection: Cardholder information remains confidential and is not resold to a third-party for <br />any reason. <br />Drug Distribution: Caremark negotiates with retail pharmacies to offer discounts off retail prices <br />at the point of purchase. Some news reports have incorrectly stated that Caremark purchases <br />prescription drugs and distributes them to retail pharmacies. <br />