City creates new prescription drug card
By Allison Pritchard
Lakewood
Published June 17, 2009

Many Americans have been complaining about the healthcare system in hopes of some kind of break, but one west side suburb has taken it upon itself to enact a program of its own.

The city of Lakewood’s new program offers savings on prescription drugs to residents who are without health insurance, a traditional benefits plan or have prescriptions that are not covered by insurance. The free drug discount cards are available to city residents through a program sponsored by the National League of Cities (NLC).

Mayor Ed FitzGerald’s assistant Holly Lauch said the mayor himself came up the idea a few years ago when he started a similar program. “It was a big success then,” Lauch told West Life.

The program “is important to the mayor and to the city and we wanted to be able to offer the city residents a discount card for their prescriptions in case” they don’t have insurance or certain items aren’t covered, Lauch said.

The new cards, administered by CVS Caremark, offer an average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs to residents, according to a recent city press release.

With the program that started at the beginning of the month, discount cards can be used by all Lakewood residents with no restrictions on the resident’s age, income level or existing health coverage. The card can be used when purchasing prescription drugs at participating pharmacies around the city, as well as at more than 59,000 participating retail pharmacies across the country, the city’s press release said.

Discount cards are available at Lakewood City Hall, North Coast Health Ministry, Lakewood Hospital, Lakewood Public Library, The Family Room, Lawther Center (West), Wellness Challenge Events, Barton Center, Lakewood Chamber of Commerce and the participating pharmacies.

“Not only does the NLC prescription discount card help residents save money on their medications, it is easy to use,” said FitzGerald. “Lakewood residents only have to show their card when purchasing medication at one of the many participating pharmacies.”

“There is no enrollment form required to get a card, no membership fee of any kind and city residents and their family members can use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance,” the mayor added.

FitzGerald also noted the current economic climate and how the program will offer considerable savings on the purchase of prescription medications for Lakewood’s residents.

“Whether or not an individual has prescription coverage, this program can make it easier for our residents to afford the drugs they need to deal with a short-term illness or stay healthy by managing a chronic condition,” the mayor said.

NLC is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance, according to a press release. The organization is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, and represents more than 218 million Americans. To learn more about the organization, visit www.nlc.org.

For more information on the card program, visit www.caremark.com/nlc.