Senior and disabled citizens who are paying full price out-of-pocket for prescription medicines may now join the ground-breaking Garden State Pharmacy Owned Prescription Services (GS-POPS) program in Middlesex County, N.J. This money-saving initiative, created by County Freeholders H. James Polos and Jane Brady, went into effect Jan. 1.
The discount program allows citizens who are 55 years of age or older and reside in Middlesex County, plus all disabled citizens, to purchase generic or name-brand drugs and medications at their wholesale price with an additional minimum discount of 13 percent.
Key to the program’s expected success is the wide distribution of participating pharmacies throughout the region. The fact that 92 percent of the pharmacies statewide are part of the GS-POPS program makes it highly unlikely that seniors or disabled residents would have to change their pharmacy in order to participate. In addition, there is no limit on the purchase of prescription medications. The newly adopted program is cost-free to the taxpayers of Middlesex County.
Middlesex County officials estimate that there are 140,000 senior citizens living in Middlesex County and many of them, as well as all disabled, could be eligible.
Those not eligible are citizens who already have a pharmacy prescription program through a retirement plan or those who already receive other financial support for prescription medications.
The enrollment program which provides eligible seniors and the disabled with a photo-ID card is already underway. In some cases, registration can be accomplished through local senior citizen organizations or centers or by contacting the Middlesex County Office of the Aging.
Middlesex is the first county in New Jersey, and as far as it is known, nationwide, to institute this cost saving program. At present, Polos says seven other New Jersey counties have either joined or are in the process of doing so and as they do, the buying power of the senior-disabled program increases and will further kick-up the current 13 percent discount. Every county in New Jersey has been invited to participate in GS-POPS.
(For additional information, contact Freeholder Jim Polos at (732) 249-2611. Art Brown is a Middlesex County media relations specialist.)
