BANGOR – Penobscot County is rolling out today a free prescription drug card aimed at reducing prescription costs for the uninsured who live or work in the county.

Used across the country and already in place in one other Maine county, the prescription drug cards boast an average savings of 20 percent nationally, although only on some drugs and only through participating pharmacies.

Still, officials in Penobscot County, where health care costs have more than doubled since 1999, are aware that the cards could offer some relief from the high costs of prescription drugs.

“It has the potential to help a lot of people,” Penobscot County Administrator Bill Collins said Monday.

County officials will unveil the program formally today, although an estimated 25,000 cards were distributed to municipalities in the county last week. Another 5,000 cards are being held to distribute through the county offices and for areas where there is high demand.

“We are hoping that this is going to take off,” Collins said.

The cards, known as the Penobscot County Prescription Discount Card, are offered through the National Association of Counties as part of an agreement reached with Caremark, the card’s administrator, and pharmacies, Collins said later Monday. The discount comes from the pharmacies. The cards will have a minimal cost for the county to distribute the cards and information.

Franklin County has been offering the card since February.

The cards are free and require no registration. There are no claim forms to fill out, and one card covers a family.

The cards will be accepted at nearly 40 pharmacies, both independent and chain stores, in the county, from Newport to Patten, and Collins said more pharmacies could join on.

Despite its simplicity, there are some caveats.

The card isn’t insurance and can’t be used in conjunction with insurance. The intent, Collins said, is to reach those who don’t have prescription drug coverage.

Drug prices also vary among pharmacies and therefore so do the savings.

“People should shop around,” urged Barbara Veilleux, a member of the county’s employee Health Advisory Council, which is heavily involved in developing the program in the county. “Not all the pharmacies give the same prices on the drugs.”

Veazie Town Manager Bill Reed already has done some preliminary investigation into the card, using some of his own prescriptions as examples. Without disclosing the pharmacy or the prescription, Reed said Monday that the card would have saved him $20 on a prescription with a list price of $100.

Reed said initially he had been skeptical about what the card could do, but has become convinced that for some people it can offer savings.

“I was surprised that it did offer some savings,” Reed said.

The cards are available at municipal offices, and Penobscot County will distribute the cards from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, July 28, at the Brewer Wal-Mart Supercenter and the Lincoln Wal-Mart.

More information about the cards and participating pharmacies can be found at https://naco.advancerx.com