County to offer drug discounts

MERCER, Pa. -- A new program that claims to provide an average 20 percent savings on pharmacy prescription drug prices for Mercer County residents is tentatively set to start Aug. 7, county commissioners said Tuesday.
At their chief clerk's meeting, the commissioners reviewed a sample of a prescription discount card, which will be available at several locations once the program gets under way. They indicated they may still make some minor changes to the card and need to formally approve both the card and program before it begins.
There is also a mail order component, which promotional materials say offers an average savings of 50 percent on a three-month supply of select medications.
While the card is accepted only at participating pharmacies, a search on the program Web site for three selected areas of Mercer County showed 22 participating pharmacies in the Sharon area, two in Mercer and five in Greenville. Residents can search the site for information about available drugs, participating pharmacies and other information at https://naco.advancerx.com, or call toll free at (877) 321-2652.
The program is being offered to county residents because commissioners recently joined the National Association of Counties. Commissioner Olivia Lazor said the prescription discount program is offered by Caremark, a pharmaceutical company, under an agreement with NACO as a way of promoting its prescription drugs.