Discount prescription cards being distributed

MALONE -- Franklin County residents will soon see discount-prescription cards arriving at their homes.

"We anticipate that starting May 14, 15 and 16 people will start seeing them in their mailboxes," said County Manager James Feeley. "They're at the printers, and we're just waiting for them to be delivered."

The plastic cards, which feature the county's bicentennial logo, allow the users in each household to obtain reductions on prescription medicines not covered under other plans the family might hold.

Users can save between 10 and 20 percent on the cost of name-brand prescriptions and 20 to 50 percent on generic brands.

County legislators contracted with ProAct, a pharmacy-benefits-management company, to create a free program to help the underinsured and uninsured afford their medicines.

The average savings per prescription was estimated at $14.47.

ProAct is affiliated with Kinney Drugs, but all 12 pharmacies in Franklin County will give the discounts, and the card is accepted all over the country.