According to a recent article in The Chicago Tribune, the price of generic medication is getting less affordable each year. The latest numbers from Catamaran, which provides pharmacy benefit management services, show consumers and insurers paid an average of $13.14 per prescription for the 50 most popular generics in 2010. In 2014, they paid $62.10, a 373 percent increase.
Physicians can help by educating their patients about the North Carolina Drug Card, which is a free statewide prescription assistance program. The North Carolina Drug Card can be used for savings of up to 75 percent on prescription medications at more than 56,000 pharmacies nationwide. The card discounts both brand and generic prescription medications for individuals without prescription coverage. Those who have prescription drug coverage may still qualify and receive discounts on medications not covered by their insurance plan. There’s no application to complete, no membership restrictions, no income requirement, and no age limitations.
Patients may visit www.northcarolinadrugcard.com to print a free North Carolina Drug Card, search for participating pharmacies and compare medication pricing. Physicians may request a supply of custom cards mailed directly to their office at no cost by contacting the program’s development director, Milton Perkins, at [email protected] or 704-785-5533.
