Drug Discount Program Enrollment Begins for Iowa Seniors

Iowa officials have begun enrolling the state's seniors in a new program offering discounts on prescription drugs, the Des Moines Register reports. The program, called Iowa Priority, has been described by its creators, Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) and Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin (D), as the "first of its kind in the nation (Starkey, Des Moines Register, 11/11). Under the program, a not-for-profit co-op negotiates prices with drug companies. Although Harkin had said that seniors would see "significant price drops" by participating in the program, pharmacists say that the actual discounts would range between 10% and 20%. The amount of savings is linked to how many seniors enroll. About 300,000 state residents are eligible (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/3). Seniors pay about $20 to join Iowa Priority. Speaking about the program Nov. 10 at a Des Moines community center, Vilsack said that 78% of the state's seniors lack a prescription drug benefit; more than 9% fail to fill prescriptions; 19% take less medication than what is prescribed; and 10% split their pills. He said, "In a place that has so many seniors, that is an unacceptable set of circumstances and statistics" (Des Moines Register, 11/11).