Hanover County offers a Prescription Drug Discount Card that reduces the high price of prescription drugs.

In July 2010, Hanover residents using the Drug Discount Card saved an average of $10.67 per prescription. That’s an average savings of 25.3 percent off the retail price.

The discounts apply to commonly prescribed drugs in cases when the prescriptions are not covered by insurance.

The discounts are immediate and there is no enrollment form, no membership fee and no restrictions on how often the card is used.

The cards are not insurance and do not replace insurance.

The cards are free and may be used by all county residents at participating pharmacies in Hanover County.

The cards are available at the Hanover County Departments of Community Resources, Community Services and Social Services and at all Hanover branches of the Pamunkey Regional Library.

The Prescription Drug Discount Card Program is sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo). About 1,300 counties and more than 60,000 pharmacies across the U.S. are now participating in the program.

For more information about this program, go to www.co.hanover.va.us and click Prescription Drug Discount Program under Special Notices. The website also includes a list of Hanover County pharmacies that are participating in this program.

The discount card program is administered by Caremark Rx, Inc. Go to http://www2.caremark.com/naco/ for more information. This page allows you to search for pharmacies in your area. County residents also can call 1-877-321-2652 toll-free.

The cardholder pays the negotiated discount price or the pharmacy’s retail price, whichever is lower. Actual savings depend on which medicines are purchased.