San Mateo County residents will be offered a prescription discount card to help them manage medication costs if the Board of Supervisors signs off as expected Tuesday on the plan.

The proposed card would not only help users save up to 40 percent off prescription cards — protecting those burdened with hefty health costs from choosing between care and other necessities — but also give San Mateo County a specific royalty for each one filled.

The Board of Supervisors introduced the card idea in early August but sent it to the Housing, Health and Human Services Committee first for consideration. At its Sept. 22 meeting, the committee agreed to recommend the board move forward.

To participate, the county doesn’t need to spend any of its own staff time, according to Health System Director Jean Fraser.

Cards will be distributed through local pharmacies and a county-specific Web site managed by Financial Marketing Concepts. FMC provides the Coast2Coast discount card for free and recoups a dispensing fee from the participating pharmacy at which it is redeemed. A piece of that is then given to the county.

The current proposal calls for a 50-cent royalty for each prescription but that could be negotiated because other jurisdictions receive higher amounts, Fraser said in a board memo.

The amount of revenue the county can generate is difficult to gauge until it is underway but officials say similarly-sized Ventura County is a good model. Last year, the program generated $19,000 for the county and this year is anticipated to bring in $90,000.

The card is honored by many major pharmacy companies in the county and — based on its use in other counties like Santa Barbara, Ventura and Alameda — can save users varying amounts up to 40 percent dependent upon the medications, according to both the company and county.

Users take the card to a participating pharmacy to be registered initially and then is able to use it at any of the network’s 58,000 pharmacies, including major chains like Rite-Aid, Safeway, Longs and Costco.

There are no age or use limits.

While it isn’t meant to replace traditional insurance, the card is a supplement that covers drugs and giving those with little or no coverage some help with the escalating price of medicine.

Financial Marketing Concepts, developer of the card, said it has distributed millions of cards in the past few years.  

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102.  

Info box: The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors meets 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3 in Board Chambers, 400 County Government Center, Redwood City.