Colorado Drug Card Media Center

Colorado Nurse Feb 2018

The cost of pediatric health continues to rise, and families who are uninsured and underinsured are continually searching for ways to help with their prescription medication costs. Data shows that 4 out of 5 deaths in children under age 5 are caused by infectious, neonatal, or nutritional conditions, many of which could be prevented by life-saving medications. Additionally, it was estimated that 10,380 children under the age of 15 would be diagnosed with cancer in 2016. National averages show approximately 5.5% of children under the age of 18 do not have health insurance. Clearly, there are many parents who will be seeking assistance in affording their children’s medications in 2018.

With so many possible pediatric health concerns, nurses are vital in the effort to educate patients and families on available programs to assist in affording prescription medications. By encouraging them to talk openly and honestly with their physician, and by offering community resources, nurses can bring relief to worried parents dealing with the stress of fighting for their child’s health and well-being. Nurses are a critical part of a child’s healthcare experience, whether at the school nurse’s office, pediatric visits, or at the local hospital or clinic. Parents will often seek nursing staff counsel when they cannot afford a medication, or feel they must choose between paying bills or paying for a child’s prescription to be filled at the local pharmacy. Being able to afford necessary medications is something that no parent should have to worry about, but the reality is that it happens all too often.

Fortunately, parents are not alone as there are community resources available to help them in affording their family’s prescription medications. It is important to consider HIPAA compliancy, resource effectiveness, and reliability when recommending discount card programs to patients & parents. Nurses must feel confident that their patient’s privacy will be protected, and that the program is a long-standing, reputable service that can be trusted. In reviewing available options, nurses must be vigilant that parents are educated about the choices available in Colorado, and reinforce the importance of privacy to guide them in choosing wisely to protect their personal information. Another important consideration is recommending a prescription assistance program that works closely in Colorado with medical organizations.

Whether families are struggling to cover their family’s daily medications, antibiotics for flu season, or a more serious health crisis for a child, nurses can be a trusted guide to help parents find ways to cope with rising prescription costs.

"The Alice 105.9 Care for Kids RadioThon was an event I will never forget.  To be a part of this event touched me in more ways than I would have ever thought.  To see the kids and hear their stories is heartbreaking, but their strength and positive outlook on life is amazing.  I will always cherish the opportunity to volunteer and be a part of  such a great event. "

- Bill Mackenzie, Regional Manager
Colorado Drug Card

A Children's Miracle Network Hospitals ad was featured in Pharmacy Times (May 2016 Issue). A donation will be made to your local Children's Miracle Network Hospital each time a prescription is processed through the Rx Assistance Program.

Pharmacy Times (May 2016)

(Colorado Springs, CO) – It's one prescription drug discount card that anyone can use, whether they have insurance, or not. However, a Target 13 Investigation revealed that some Colorado pharmacists don't even know about it.

The Colorado Drug Card is a card that anyone can use to get a discount on prescriptions. Consumers don't even need to possess the card, they just need to ask for the card to be applied when the pick up their prescriptions.

Some consumers could needlessly be paying more, simply because they aren't asking the right questions. And, some pharmacists aren't telling them otherwise.

KRDO NEWSCHANNEL 13 investigated and went to one big box pharmacy in Colorado Springs. NEWSCHANNEL 13 asked the pharmacist if the knew about the Colorado Drug Card.

"Actually, I don't," said the pharmacist. "I'm not familiar with that one."

NEWSCHANNEL 13 called several other Colorado stores in that same chain and got similar responses. We asked that pharmacist about the card again later during the interview. "I actually have to look that up," he said. "Can I look that up real quick?" he asked.

After searching his computer for several minutes, the pharmacist turned around and said, "We do (accept the card)."

The Colorado Drugs Card website lists many participating retailers. That particular big box pharmacy was listed on the website.

KRDO NEWSCHANNEL 13 also talked to pharmacists at King Soopers and Walmart. They knew exactly what the Colorado Drug Card was.

"Sometimes I have seen that the Colorado plan has been lower than the co-pays," said Walmart Pharmacy Manager Kim Rahalewich. "Sometimes I have seen that they only save like a couple of cents. Sometimes I've seen a great savings."

The discounts can vary from drug to drug.

"Anyone is eligible," said King Soopers Director of Pharmacy Marla Frawner. "We can get a card for anyone."

There are other cards that will also help whittle down costs: The El Paso County Free Prescription Drug Card and the Pueblo County Discount Card

KRDO NEWSCHANNEL 13 asked the pharmacist who didn't know about the Colorado Drug Card to look up the prices on some commonly prescribed drugs. He found that one generic drug used to treat seizures was listed at $109.99. When he used the El Paso County Discount Card, the cost came to $47.40. When he applied the Colorado Drug Card, it rang up at $23.27.

He admitted that was a pretty significant difference.

Given that example, KRDO NEWSCHANNEL 13 asked that pharmacist if he might start looking up the Colorado Drug Card price for some consumers.

"Yeah," he said. "Knowing that we can help people, if you know especially if they remind us. Sometimes we get busy and don't always remember to do that."

To be clear, King Soopers and Walmart did accept the card during this Target 13 probe. Most of them even volunteered the card information before they were asked about it.

After this Target 13 investigation, KRDO NEWSCHANNEL 13 called the other big box pharmacies back. Now they do accept the Colorado Drug Card.

(Denver, CO) – The Denver Metro Chamber, in partnership with the Colorado Drug Card announced today that Walgreens pharmacy has agreed to be the preferred pharmacy for the program. As part of the agreement, Walgreens will process prescriptions through Colorado Drug Card for those people who are not able to print or otherwise obtain a drug savings card.

"As Colorado's economy begins to recover from this economically challenging time, access to less-expensive prescriptions can make a critical difference in the health of Coloradans," said Robert Blankenship, Chief Operating Officer of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. "No Coloradan should have to choose between filling their prescriptions and other needs."

Colorado residents can obtain a free card, search drug pricing and locate participating pharmacies by visiting www.ColoradoDrugCard.com. This card will provide drug savings of up to 75 percent at more than 56,000 pharmacies across the country including Walgreens, Safeway, Albertsons, Sav-on, Target, Kmart, Walmart and many other stores.

All Colorado residents are eligible for this program. There are no restrictions to membership, no income requirements, no age limits and no applications are needed.

The Colorado Drug Card is a simple solution to the confusing maze of discount programs that have appeared in recent years. Many of these programs require enrollment and some have membership restrictions such as age and income requirements. Additional information on the program can be found at www.ColoradoDrugCard.com.

(Denver, CO) – Colorado Drug Card, in partnership with The Denver Metro Chamber, announced today that Walgreens pharmacy has agreed to be the "Preferred Pharmacy" for the program. As part of the agreement, Walgreens has agreed to process prescriptions through Colorado Drug Card. Coloradans can simply walk into any Walgreens location and ask the pharmacist to process their prescription through the Colorado Drug Card. Walgreens will also have hard cards available at pharmacy locations throughout the State.

"As Colorado's economy begins to recover from this economically challenging time, access to less-expensive prescriptions can make a critical difference in the health of Coloradans," said Robert Blankenship, Chief Operating Officer of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. "No Coloradan should have to choose between filling their prescriptions and other needs."

Colorado residents can obtain a free card, search drug pricing and locate participating pharmacies by visiting www.ColoradoDrugCard.com. This card will provide drug savings of up to 75 percent at more than 56,000 pharmacies across the country including Walgreens, Safeway, Albertsons Sav-on, Target, Kmart, and many other stores.

All Colorado residents are eligible for this program. There are no restrictions to membership, no income requirements, no age limits and no applications are needed.

The Colorado Drug Card is a simple solution to the confusing maze of discount programs that have appeared in recent years. Many of these programs require enrollment and some have membership restrictions such as age and income requirements. Additional information on the program can be found at www.ColoradoDrugCard.com.

(Denver, CO) – Colorado Drug Card announced Walgreens has agreed to be the "preferred pharmacy" for the statewide drug assistance program.

As part of the agreement, Walgreens has agreed to process prescriptions through Colorado Drug Card. State residents can go to any Walgreens store and ask the pharmacist to process their prescription through the Colorado Drug Card. Walgreens will also have cards available at its pharmacies.

Coloradans can obtain a free drug card, search drug pricing and locate participating pharmacies by visiting www.ColoradoDrugCard.com. The cards provide drug purchase savings of up to 75 percent at pharmacies in stores that include Walgreens, Safeway, Albertsons Sav-On, Target and Kmart.

All state residents are eligible for the program, and there are no restrictions to membership, no income requirements, no age limits and no applications are needed.

For more information, visit www.ColoradoDrugCard.com.

(Denver) – With family budgets getting tighter all the time, some good news about a discount program that can save you money on prescription drug costs.

The program is called the Colorado Drug Card. It's free and available to all Colorado residents. It offers a discount of anywhere between 10 and 70 percent on certain prescription drugs.

Kate Horle, with the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce explains ask your pharmacist to compare the cost of a drug using your insurance against the cost using the Colorado Drug card and then take whichever is cheapest.

Organizations that issue the cards use their volume to negotiate better prices on medications. Horle says savings vary depending on the drug and on your specific insurance.

You can get the cards at most pharmacies or print your own through the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce web site.

The Colorado Drug Card is a free statewide prescription assistance program that offers free drug cards to all Colorado residents. The program provides discounts on both brand and generic medications with an average savings of around 30%. The program has no restrictions to membership, no income requirements, no age limitations and there are no applications to fill out. Everyone is eligible to receive savings!

Additionally, people with prescription coverage can use the program to get a discount on prescription drugs that are not covered by insurance. There are currently more than 56,000 pharmacy locations across the country participating in the program, including all major pharmacy chains. To locate participating pharmacies and search medication pricing, go to www.ColoradoDrugCard.com.

If you have any questions please contact Shaeffer Gast at shaeffer.gast@denverchamber.org