United Way offering prescription discount cards in Hartsville
By JIM FAILE
The United Way of Hartsville is stepping up to help area residents who have no health insurance or whose insurance does not cover prescription drugs get the medicines they need at an affordable price.
The FamilyWize prescription drug discount card can lower the cost of medicine by an average of 30percent or more, according to T.C. Sawyer, executive director of the United Way of Hartsville. United Way is distributing the discount cards in the Hartsville area.
The cards are free of charge to everyone, Sawyer said. There are no age restrictions, no income restrictions, no limit on how many times you can use it and no waiting to get a card, he said.
Participating pharmacies in the community have agreed to provide savings to people in need.
Nationwide, more than 900 United Ways distribute FamilyWize Cards in their communities in all 50 states. The cards are expected to save consumers more than $50 million on medicine purchases over the next year, Sawyer said.
This is the first year United Way of Hartsville has distributed the cards, and Sawyer said the move is one more way the local United Way tries to exert a positive influence on the lives of Hartsville residents.
He said the cards offer a way to help people who have insufficient or no prescription coverage or whose prescription needs are not covered by their insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or VA benefits.
“Health care costs are one of the top concerns for people in our community,” Sawyer said. “Forty percent of adults don’t buy the medicine they need, have difficulty affording it or reduce the required dosage because of the high cost. The FamilyWize prescription drug discount cards will help individuals and families who otherwise could not afford to buy the medicine they need.”
Sawyer said he is gratified at the way Hartsville area pharmacies have joined in the effort to make the cards available to people here.
The cards are available until the supply runs out, Sawyer said. “We’ve got over 3,000 of them here at the office, and I just got word that we will be offering them again next year.”
Since the initial distribution of the cards last week, Sawyer said the FamilyWize Community Service Partnership, which distributes the cards nationwide, has recorded them being used in the Hartsville area at least 44 times.
“That doesn’t sound like a lot, but I’m hoping to see it increase as word gets out about them,” he said.
“It’s truly amazing what we can accomplish when we all work together,” he said. “So many people and organizations have joined together to make this possible.”
Sawyer said the cards are available at the following Hartsville area pharmacies: CSC Community Pharmacy, CVS, Hartsville Drug, Super RX, Medical Arts Pharmacy and Wal-Mart. Rite Aid and Wallgreen’s are not distributing the cards but are accepting them, he said.
Cards can also be obtained by calling the United Way of Hartsville office at (843) 332-3261.
Some restrictions apply on the use of the cards. They cannot be used with other prescription cards for the same purchase or to reduce an insurance co-pay, but the cards can be used as often as needed.
“We hope everyone in the community will take the time to thank their pharmacist, United Way of Hartsville and everyone else involved for the difference they are making in the lives of so many people in the community,” said Dan Barnes, co-chair of the FamilyWize Community Service Partnership.