DuPage County, Ill., To Join Caremark Prescription Rx Discount Card Program

The DuPage County Board in Illinois on Tuesday voted to join a nationwide program that will provide residents with a prescription drug discount card, the Chicago Tribune reports. The plan, which is offered to all counties that are a part of the National Association of Counties, is managed by Caremark. It offers an average discount of 20% off prescription drugs that are not covered by a beneficiary's medical insurance. No registration is required. The cards will be available from county government offices and other public venues such as municipal offices, libraries and doctors' offices within eight to 10 weeks, according to the Tribune. The cards can be used at any of Caremark's participating pharmacies, which include about 90% of all pharmacies nationwide, according to a Caremark spokesperson. DuPage County officials said the program comes at no cost to the county because it relies on incentives to pharmacies to generate involvement. The pharmacies pay Caremark a fee of less than one dollar for every prescription, and pharmacies rely on consumers to make other purchases at their stores when filling their prescriptions, the Tribune reports. DuPage County Director of Community Services Philip Smith, "Everybody should have one of these cards, even if you have insurance. You never know when your doctor will prescribe a medication that's not covered by your insurance plan" (Sjostrom, Chicago Tribune, 6/14).