Clark County residents to receive discount cards for prescriptions

By Conor Shine

Monday, Jan. 14, 2013 | 3:20 p.m.

Clark County residents looking to save money on prescription drugs can check their mail this week for a new discount card.

The Clark County Prescription Discount Card, arriving in the mailboxes of every county resident this week, can be used at local and national pharmacy chains to help customers save up to 70 percent on pharmaceuticals.

The program, which was endorsed by the County Commission in August, is being operated at no cost to the county by ProAct, a wholly-owned subsidiary of New York-based Kinney Drugs.

ProAct is able to negotiate discounted rates with 55,000 participating pharmacies nationwide, including CVS, Walgreens and Walmart.

According to a ProAct spokesman, the company receives a transaction fee every time the card is used, while pharmacies benefit from selling prescriptions to customers who otherwise might not have been able to afford the medicine.

Since launching in 2005, ProAct has helped consumers save about $100 million on prescription drugs, a company representative told the commission in August.

The card is aimed at helping those without insurance and can result in discounts of 10 to 20 percent on brand-name medications and 20 to 70 percent on generic medications, county officials said.

Those with health insurance can still use the card for discounts on prescriptions not covered under their plans.

“The Clark County Prescription Discount Card is free and easy to use, and will give some financial relief to those who are struggling to afford their life-saving prescriptions,” Commissioner Lawrence Weekly said in a statement.

In addition to prescription drug discounts, the card can be used for hearing and vision check-ups and for LASIK procedures with participating physicians. A dental component of the program comes with an enrollment fee.

For more information or a complete list of participating pharmacies, call 1-855-702-7283 or visit the program’s website.