As a prescription drug discount program takes effect in Story County, pharmacists at Iowa State’s health center say they are already working to ensure students receive the savings they need.

On Nov. 1, new drug discount cards, which offer up to 20 percent savings on prescription drugs, became available to all county residents, including ISU students. There is no application process, no fee and the cards are honored at all pharmacies within the county. The program is being administered by the National Association of Counties.

The cards are currently available in several locations in and around Ames, including the Community Life Administration Building, 900 Sixth St., Nevada; the Human Services Center, 126 S. Kellogg Ave.; the Boys and Girls Club, 210 S. Fifth St.; and Heartland Senior Services, 205 S. Walnut Ave., said Story County Administrative Officer Sherry Howard. Cards were also given to mayors of six other cities in the county and are available at their respective city halls.

After contacting the Story County Board of Supervisors, Greg Yeakel, chief staff pharmacist at the Thielen Student Health Center, said the cards are now available on campus, too.

“We’ll do what we can to disseminate them,” he said. “They’re just one more option that fit in our armament in terms of how we can help students.”

Students using the new program have saved money on approximately one in three prescriptions, which may not seem like a significant difference but can make a difference, he said. The new card is only one of the many options available that benefits students when they cannot afford medication, but Yeakel advises students not to be discouraged if they need to fill a prescription.

“If students don’t have insurance, then many pharmaceutical companies will give medicine to a qualified person for free. Once we identify those students, we’ll work with them to get them hooked up with any number of programs. Free is a lot better than a discount,” he said. “These companies can afford to be generous . If [students] really, truly need medicine there are ways we can work with them to get it.”

Eligibility requirements for programs used by employees at the Student Health Center are found at NeedyMeds.com, a Web site that lists both brand and generic name medicines, he said.

The discount cards, however, may not always benefit someone who already has insurance coverage.

“We’ve seen a lot of seniors bring in the card. The majority of those who’ve brought it in already have a discount program,” said Dave Brown, pharmacy manager for the Hy-Vee Drug Store Clinic Pharmacy, 1215 Duff Ave. “A lot of people who have supplemental insurance already have discount cards they’re not aware of. I think I’ve had only one person who used the card and didn’t already have a discount card already in place.”

Howard said Story County residents are utilizing the new program but she has not received feedback from local pharmacies.

Brown said of the pharmacists he spoke to, several are unhappy with the new discount program because of the potential money that could be lost.

“It’s not that significant of an amount. I don’t think there is anything that should be too upsetting about it,” he said.

Yeakel said whatever the discount offered, he will work with students with almost any type of plan and assist them to get the medicine they need.

“Eighty dollars a month for a medicine, in some cases, can make the difference for a student making it or not,” he said.

“We do what we can to support students.”