The United Way is helping people in our area save money on their prescription drug costs.

They've teamed up with a national organization to create a free medication discount card.

"The Familywize card is really a discount card for prescription drugs, and what it does is it allows you to obtain your prescriptions at the lowest possible retail price from your pharmacy," says Sue Haupt, with the United Way of Marathon County.

Leaders from the United Way say the program was created to help people without insurance, afford their medication, and the card doesn't require any membership or enrollment fees.

She says, "Basically you can pick up a card here at our office or at participating pharmacies, and each time you need a prescription filled you show it to your pharmacist and they will offer you the lowest discount price available."

The Director of the Aspirus Wausau Pharmacy says medication bought with the card is the same quality that you would normally be getting at the pharmacy, but at a lower price.

"The medications would not be any different then with any other prescription benefit card. Whatever your physician has prescribed for you is what the pharmacy would be dispensing," says Jill Michaud, the the Aspirus Wausau Pharmacy Director.

Leaders from the United Way say on average the card cuts medication prices by 30 percent.

They say Familywize has been working with pharmacies across the county to help keep those prices low.

"This is really a cooperative program between not only the Familywize program, but the pharmacies themselves, who are willing to do this for their customers," says Haupt.

Organizers say in the first 7 months, people in Marathon County used the card, they saved a total of more than $11,000.