Many use Essex County-sponsored discount-prescription program

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January 20, 2012

Some have issues with its ownership, Kinney Drugs

LOHR McKINSTRY Press-Republican The Press Republican Fri Jan 20, 2012, 02:28 AM EST

ELIZABETHTOWN — Essex County's discount-prescription program for uninsured consumers has some independent pharmacies concerned, while others are taking advantage of it.

The County Board of Supervisors contracted with Gouverneur-based ProAct last year to offer the service for county residents.

Now, some independent pharmacies have complained about using ProAct because it's owned by Kinney Drugs.

But other independent drug stores are using the program, Supervisor Gerald Morrow (D-Chesterfield) said.

He said independent pharmacies in Keeseville and AuSable Forks have joined the ProAct discount program.

Supervisor Thomas Scozzafava (R-Moriah) said the owner of the local Adirondack Apothecary chain, which has pharmacies in Port Henry, Schroon Lake and Willsboro, contacted him and was concerned they could lose business.

OTHER CARDS, TOO

Apothecary co-owner James Bowen said Thursday that his pharmacies use their own discount program, called Freedom Choice.

He said a few people came in with the ProAct cards, and the store was happy to give them Freedom Choice cards.

"We take a great deal of pride in offering this service. We do not want to let our patients down. We have our own discount card. We want the county to recognize there are more pharmacy operations in Essex County."

ProAct uses the information from its discount program to then do direct mail solicitations for Kinney's mail-order prescription business.

"It's a never-ending battle," Bowen said. "The county doesn't need to be supporting anybody. They should be neutral."

'JUST TRYING TO HELP'

Scozzafava said owners of independent drug stores should be invited to a future Board of Supervisors meeting to express their concerns.

They had thought direct mailings from Kinney Drugs would divert customers to the regional chain, which has stores in Elizabethtown and Lake Placid.

County Manager Daniel Palmer said he thought most of those worries had been satisfied.

Board of Supervisors Chair Randy Douglas (D-Jay) said the county was just trying to help residents who were not covered by prescription plans.

"We certainly were not trying to have a negative impact on any of the local pharmacies. Obviously, we have helped a lot of uninsured people in Essex County, and that is what we were trying to do to begin with."

POPULAR PROGRAM

County Personnel Officer Monica Feeley has been monitoring the program, and said 354 people countywide used the discount cards in December 2011.

She said it was so popular that some pharmacies ran out of the cards.

"They have even had to contact ProAct directly and ask for additional cards, because people are actually utilizing the prescription drugs (discount). I was quite impressed with the numbers, and thought it was a good thing."

ProAct used a U.S. Postal Service address list of county households to mail out thousands of prescription-discount cards in September.

ProAct representative Erison Rodriguez said all pharmacies in the county are welcome to use the program.

"We (supplied) every pharmacy in the county with an inventory of cards, as well as actual visits, to make sure that they are up to speed on how the program works.

"This program is meant to assist the uninsured and under-insured residents within the county who have no prescription coverage at all."

Palmer said the contract with ProAct is for one year, renewable for an additional three years.

The savings depends on the specific medication prescribed, but "these are uninsured individuals who are making use of this card and are obtaining a pretty significant discount," he said.

"If the need is really that significant ... there are more uninsured out there than I think we realized, and they are taking advantage of this program, and it has had a significant impact."

Email Lohr McKinstry at: lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com