Novartis' Rx discount card for US seniors

Novartis has announced the launch next January of its Novartis CareCardprescription drug discount program, for which an estimated 10 million low-income elderly Americans are expected to qualify, and has urged other manufacturers to provide similar services.

The CareCard program will be available free and will provide a 25% discount off the wholesale list prices of Novartis' outpatient prescription drugs, which the firm says should translate to patient savings of 30%-40% on retail prices. Individuals will qualify if they are aged 65 or over and have an annual income under 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, about $26,000 for an individual and $35,000 for a couple, and who currently have no alternative prescription drug coverage. The savings to enrollees would include, for example, three months' supply of the firm's high blood pressure drug Diovan (valsartan) for $98, 30% off the average price of $139.

The CareCard will use an administrative infrastructure managed by an independent third party to serve as a viable foundation for other pharmaceutical companies to integrate their own program, says Novartis. Pharmacy retailers will be the primary means for program enrolment and prescription delivery, the company says, adding that, given pharmacists' expertise and frequent contact with patients, it envisages their playing a critical role in enhancing the program's effectiveness.