Frequently Asked Questions:

History of the Northwest Ohio Pharmacy Card Network
In the fall of 2001, Toledo City Councilman Kapszukiewicz began research into the prescription drug market in the hopes that he could find a way to provide some relief to Toledo’s uninsured and underinsured residents. Everyone is aware of the sky-rocketing cost of prescription drugs and he wanted to explore the options available to us to help people with those costs. After doing research into what the state of Maine and other municipalities throughout the country are doing, he began discussions with Lucas County and Toledo’s neighboring communities.


WHAT Is It?
The Northwest Ohio Pharmacy Card Network, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation organized under the Ohio Revised Code (§ORC 1702) made up of participating governmental subdivisions including Toledo, Lucas County, Oregon, Rossford, Haskins, Walbridge, Northwood, Genoa, Bowling Green and Wauseon. These communities have all passed resolutions expressing their intention to join and naming representatives to the NOPCN Board of Directors. Any community in Northwest Ohio may petition the Board to join and any participating community may leave the NOPCN at any time.


WHO Is it For?
This program is primarily designed to benefit those with limited or no insurance, but anyone in a participating community may join. This program is not a pharmacy card benefits program for employees of participating localities, although they would be welcome if they can benefit from our program. Whether you have insurance benefits or not you may participate in the program. There are no income eligibility requirements. Owners and employees of small businesses, many seniors, and thousands of other Northwest Ohioans currently have no prescription drug coverage. Further, people can use the NOPCN on drugs not covered under their primary insurance coverage. Seniors can use our discount card after their medicare spend-down is exhausted. Middle-class families with prescription coverage can use our card for drugs that aren’t on their insurance plan’s formulary- for example rogaine, birth control or anti-depressant drugs. And working families without drug coverage can save as much as 20 percent on their annual prescription drug bills.


HOW Much Does it Cost?
The goal of this proposal is to be able to provide the benefit at no cost to the taxpayers and no cost to the consumer for the card.

HOW Does It Work?
By joining together, these communities found that we could negotiate with pharmacies lower, more reasonable prices for prescriptions. In order to organize that network of pharmacies and negotiate savings, we developed a Request for Proposal and chose Terian Healthcare as our vendor/partner. A large customer base allows us to obtain the same level of discounts that are offered to insured employee groups and in paid card programs.

WHY now?
Now is the time for action. There are approximately 40,000 uninsured people in the Toledo area. Citizens of Northwest Ohio should not be forced to choose between purchasing the medications prescribed as necessary by their doctor and groceries for their family. Whether participants are saving $1000 or $10 each month, the program will be a worthwhile step in the fight to make prescription drugs more affordable to those who need them most.