New discount drug card available to Florence residents
Angela E. Kershner/Morning News
Florence City Councilman Billy D. Williams explains the the benefits of a new a discount drug card available to Florence residents during a press conference late Monday morning in Florence.
FLORENCE — Florence City Councilman Billy D. Williams announced a discount drug card available to city residents during a news conference in council chambers late Monday morning.
The card enables residents access to an easy-to-use prescription drug card that can offer average savings of 20 percent off drug retail prices.
“The city of Florence today is officially launching a program to help provide residents with some relief from the high cost of prescription drugs,” Williams said. “The city is making free prescription drugs discount cards available to city residents through a program sponsored by the National League of Cities (NLC). The discount cards offer city residents an average savings of 20 percent.”
Williams said the discount card can be used by all city residents. They have no restrictions based on a resident’s age, income level or existing health coverage.
He said the NLC card can be used when purchasing prescription drugs at about 25 pharmacies around Florence as well as at more than 59,000 participating retail pharmacies nationwide.
“In the current economic climate, where many people are watching what they spend, the city of Florence is happy to partner with the National League of Cities to make this prescription discount card available for our residents,” Williams said. “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.”
Not only does the NLC prescription discount card help residents save money on their medications, it is also easy to use, Williams said.
“City of Florence residents only have to show their card when purchasing medication at one of the many participating pharmacies,” he said. “There is no enrollment form required to get a card, no membership fee of any kind and city residents and their families can use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance.”
The cards are available, at no cost, in the office of Florence City Council, Room 605 of the Florence City-County Complex, 180 N. Irby St.
They are also available at five local CVS pharmacies located at 3210 E. Palmetto St., 800 Pamplico Highway, 733 S. Irby St., 2501 Second Loop Road and 3227 W. Palmetto St.
City residents can visit http://www.cityofflorence.com, call toll-free (888) 620-1749 or visit http://www.cremark.com/nlc for assistance with the program.
More than 200 cities nationwide are participating in the program with 100 more in the process of signing up. Some 10,000 prescriptions have been filled in the past six months.
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Reader Reactions
We’re not talking about CVS in the county wer’re commenting about how this is available for city resident. Why not County? I live in the county I have no ins. period something like this could benefit me.
Some of those CVS locations are in the county. The program must really work for anyone who shops at CVS & has one of these cards but no other insurance. It tells me that the rest of us are being overcharged to pay for everyone else, and some pol is taking the credit for it…as usual.
What did this cost the city of Florence?
Did Billy D. Williams (I still get a freaking kick out of his name) initiate this joint venture .. or is he just the one getting the credit.
Why is not available to use at all pharmacies?
Does CVS sponsor this?
Give us more information Morning News!
I read on another website that the county has been doing this for a couple of years. But I dont know if that is true or not.
well good for city residents but what about county—shouldn’t everyone be included
Any time I see Mr. Williams waving around papers I get suspicious and wonder what the deal is. He made it sound like he single handedly got Rx cards for everyone in Florence and that everyone would get a 20% discount on average. Well, in looking at the NLC Website it states “Now it is possible for you to offer savings on prescription drugs to your residents who are without health insurance” and the sponsor is CVS. So the card isn’t good at every pharmacy and am guessing most of the Florence residence have some form of Rx coverage already. Glad he helped out some of the folks, they needed it. But don’t try to make it look better than it is…silly politician.
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