Prescription drug discount cards are popping up all over the state but it's not something pharmacies are overjoyed to see.
When a company offers to sell you a discount card it's the pharmacies that eat the difference not the company according to Tom Engels with the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin.
So why do pharmacies agree to take part ? Engles says it's often because the card company will say "if you don't sign up another pharmacy will and you'll lose the potential customers."
Engles says on average less than 10-per cent of a pharmacy's business comes from cash paying customers. Everything else comes from some sort of plan such as Medicare D or SeniorCare. Engles says those are better options for seniors.
He advises people who want to get a discount card to check with their favorite pharmacy first to make sure it's part of the card's network before laying out any cash for the card.
