County commission grants permission for prescription discount card program

ALBANY, Ga: The Dougherty County Commission unanimously voted Monday to grant permission to the United Way of Southwest Georgia to distribute free prescription drug discount cards in public buildings.

The vote comes after weeks of discussions and debate after the concept was first suggested by District 2 Commissioner John Hayes.

Monday, the commission heard from Dwayne Miles, head of the local United Way office, who said that this particular program has been in place since 2008 and has saved consumers $75,000 in Dougherty County alone.

To see the savings on particular drugs at local pharmacies, click here.

According to the cards distributed at the meeting Monday, the card is for either uninsured or under-insured consumers whose prescriptions aren’t covered by any existing insurance copay.

The discount is up to 30 percent on prescriptions and Miles said the card can be used at any local pharmacy.

For the commission, who had rejected two earlier programs because they either allowed for solicitation of consumers for mail-order drugs — which they viewed would hurt local pharmacies — or required a binding contract that some on the commission felt could lead to some obligation on the part of the taxpayer to provide a level of service, the United Way program met their requirements.

“It looks like it meets our stipulations. I’d don’t see why we can’t support this,” Commissioner Lamar Hudgins said.

According to information presented to the commission about the card program, the FamilyWize organization touts that $90 million in savings have been realized as of January 2009 by users throughout the country.

The cards are already available at many pharmacies throughout Dougherty County, Miles said, and have been given to companies who do business with the United Way.

“We’re just seeking to expand the program by putting them into the public facilities like the Dougherty County Library and other places,” Miles told the commission.