How Prescription Discount Cards Work

Today's prescription drug prices can be staggering. We get it. So, what are these prescription discount cards you keep hearing about? How do they work? And can you trust them? These are just some of the questions our ScriptSave® WellRx Customer Care team answers every day. We hope this information will help you better understand how discount drug cards work and if they are right for you.

What are prescription discount cards?

Prescription discount cards are designed to provide lower drug costs to patients paying for their medications in cash. There is no cost to use these cards, and they are available to you whether you have health insurance or not. Sound too good to be true? It's not.

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Here is how pharmacy discount cards work:

Savings programs like ScriptSave WellRx negotiate discounts on bulk drug purchases with pharmacy owners. Consumers can then access lower medication prices at nearby pharmacies by using a free card or mobile app provided by the Rx savings program.

When you use the drug card to fill your prescriptions, the pharmacy compensates the discount program. In some regards, it can be thought of as a referral fee, paid by the pharmacy to the discount program. Pharmacies not only benefit from the additional items that customers usually purchase when visiting the store but, in addition, many of the patients using a cash savings card are uninsured and would otherwise not be filling their prescription. Without the Rx savings program, these potential customer visits to the pharmacy would have been abandoned before they happened, resulting in the loss of both the prescription and the foot-traffic through the store.

Get My Prescription Discount Card

1. Prescription savings programs establish an open network of pharmacies.

2. Using the power of bulk purchasing, we negotiate discounts on the average wholesale price for consumers using the prescription discount card.

3. For example, if a drug retails for $45 and the negotiated discount is 40%, the consumer only pays $27. Saving $18 over the standard retail price!

4. The pharmacy benefits from increased traffic to their store.

5. There are no costs to use the prescription savings card - so everyone wins!

6. The consumer benefits from lower prescription costs, making medication adherence more likely.

7. Consumers using the prescription discount card can expect average savings of 65% up to 80%* on brand and generic medications!

Are Rx savings programs really free?

Most programs, including ScriptSave WellRx, are completely free for consumers to use at the pharmacy. We encourage all patients (regardless of their insurance status) to compare prescription prices online before filling their medication. Prescription prices can vary greatly from one pharmacy to the next, so tools like the ScriptSave WellRx fast, easy, free price-checker can really help find the lowest Rx prices in a zip code.

If you have health insurance, be sure to compare your copay cost to the discounted rate available through the prescription savings program so you can be sure you’re getting the best price possible.

How do I use a pharmacy discount card?

The process may vary slightly from one savings program to another, but the typical steps to receive discount prescriptions include the following:

1. Download your free Rx savings card.
2. Choose a local pharmacy with the lowest prescription price.
3. Show your savings card to the pharmacist when picking up your medication.
4. Pay the discounted rate.

It's that easy. Instant savings at the pharmacy counter on brand-name and generic prescription drugs. Use the card to save on medications for the entire family, too. You could save hundreds of dollars each year!

If you need assistance affording your Rx drugs, try using a free ScriptSave WellRx card or downloading our pharmacy savings app the next time you fill or refill a prescription.

Get My Prescription Discount Card

Are drug discount programs a scam? Can I trust ScriptSave WellRx?

There are a lot of companies in the discount prescription space, and the offer to help save on medication costs can sound too good to be true. So, who can you trust? Are the pharmacy savings legitimate? There’s a lot of information out there.

The truth is, prescription savings providers are only compensated by the pharmacy when you fill a prescription using their card. You save money, and the pharmacy benefits from your business.

ScriptSave WellRx is brought to you by Medical Security Card Company, LLC; the trusted prescription discount leader at more than 65,000 pharmacies nationwide for more than 20 years.

We are verified by National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). The NABP verified registry creates a safe space for consumers to feel confident that the websites they are visiting are trustworthy.

Find a Lower Price for Your Prescription

How ScriptSave WellRx Works

Compare Rx Prices

Searching for the best discount on your medication is quick and easy. We're accepted nationwide at over 65,000 participating pharmacies.

Get a Prescription Discount Card

Your choice. Get a ScriptSave WellRx Savings Card. Or download the free mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store

Show Card at Pharmacy

Show your card each time you fill or refill a prescription. Savings average 65%, and, in some cases, can be 80% or more*, and all prescription medications are eligible for savings.

Save on the Go!

For your convenience, use the ScriptSave® WellRx mobile app to get your drug discounts instead of printing a card.

All the ScriptSave WellRx tools in one handy place. Never leave your savings card and discount behind.

Prescription prices may vary from pharmacy to pharmacy and are subject to change. The pricing estimates given are based on the most recent information available and may change based on when you actually fill your prescription at the pharmacy.

DISCOUNT ONLY - NOT INSURANCE. Discounts are available exclusively through participating pharmacies. The range of the discounts will vary depending on the type of prescription and the pharmacy chosen. This program does not make payments directly to pharmacies. Members are required to pay for all prescription purchases. Cannot be used in conjunction with insurance. You may contact customer care anytime with questions or concerns, to cancel your registration, or to obtain further information. This program is administered by Medical Security Card Company, LLC, Tucson, AZ.

*Average and up to savings percentages are based on all discounted prescriptions that were run through the WellRx program in 2022. Discount percentages represent savings provided off of pharmacies’ retail prices for consumers who do not have a discount program and pay cash.

The day supply is based upon the average dispensing patterns for the specific drug and strength. The Program, as well as the prices and the list of covered drugs, can be modified at any time without notice.

How Do Prescription Discount Cards Work?

What are prescription discount cards?

Here is how pharmacy discount cards work:

Are Rx savings programs really free?

How do I use a pharmacy discount card?