Politics & Government

Prescription Drug Card Comes to Monmouth County

Card promises an average discount of 55 percent on drugs.

Monmouth County residents will be eligible for prescription drug discounts through a new wellness program, officials announced Thursday during a press conference at the Office of Aging in Freehold Borough.

The county has partnered with Financial Marketing Concepts, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., to make the company’s Coast2Coast Rx card available in Monmouth. The free card provides discounts on brand name and generic drugs when presented at a participating pharmacy.

“The program we’re introducing today will help people who don’t have prescription coverage or whose insurance does not cover all medications,” Freeholder Director Robert Clifton said. “It’s not insurance, but it is a discount coupon that you can use over and over again regardless of whether you have insurance.”

The card will be distributed at pharmacies, libraries, health facilities and offices, Freeholder Amy Mallet said. There are no health, age or income restrictions associated with the program and all residents are eligible to use the card, Mallet said.

Card users realize an average savings of 55 percent off the retail price of prescription medications, according to Financial Marketing Concepts Chief Operating Officer Martin Dettelbach. The card also provides 50 to 80 percent discounts on lab work and imaging tests, as well as savings of up to 60 percent on costs associated with dental, vision and hearing needs, according to data provided by Financial Marketing Concepts.

The program does not cost Monmouth County any money, and the county will receive $1.25 each time the card is used, county spokesperson William Heine said.

“We expect this county will make $6,000 to $10,000 per month. It will take time to get there,” Dettelbach said.

He estimated between one and 1.5 percent of the county population would use the card by the end of the program’s first year. Financial Marketing Concepts has partnered with cities including Houston, Phoenix, Kansas City, San Diego, Dallas, Newark, Hoboken and Orange to make the Coast2Coast Rx card available in those locations, according to Dettelbach. Monmouth is the first county in New Jersey with which the company has entered into an agreement.

Information on prescriptions that receive a discount under the card and pharmacies that accept the card are available at coast2coastrx.com. Monmouth County residents can print a card for use at coast2coastrx.com/monmouth.


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