2007-04-23 14:16:19 -

NEW YORK and ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Duane Reade, the leading drug store chain in metropolitan New York, and Together Rx Access, a free prescription savings program, have partnered to help eligible New Yorkers without health insurance gain access to prescription medicines. With the Together Rx Access(TM) Card, most cardholders save 25 to 40 percent * on brand-name prescription products, including medicines to treat high cholesterol, diabetes, asthma and many other conditions.

Duane Reade pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are now providing customers with information about the free

Together Rx Access prescription savings program. Materials include a free quick start savings card, which is a pre-printed removable card that can be detached from the front of a two-sided brochure. Potential enrollees can call the toll-free number listed to determine eligibility, enroll, and activate their card. The card is activated immediately if the eligible enrollee calls within call center business hours and within two business days at all other times. Cardholders can then simply bring the Card to their pharmacist along with their prescription and the savings will be calculated right at the pharmacy counter.

"The number of uninsured people in New York is staggering, especially considering that more than 340,000 are children. Through Duane Reade's broad reach to the New York market, we believe that our partnership will help us reach many of these individuals to inform them of the prescription savings Card, which is free to get and free to use," said Roba Whiteley, executive director of Together Rx Access. "Until there is a solution for the millions of hardworking New Yorkers without health coverage, we will continue to offer immediate help to these individuals and their families so they can take care of what is most important -- their health."

"As a member of the New York community, we are committed to providing the most reliable and relevant health information and services to our customers," said Jerry Ray, senior vice president of Pharmacy Operations for Duane Reade. "This initiative underscores our commitment to better serving our customers. We are proud to join forces with Together Rx Access to further educate our customers about this program and help uninsured individuals and their families gain access to the medicines they need."

More than 300 brand-name prescription products are included in the Together Rx Access Program+. Savings are also available on a range of generic products. Together Rx Access also directs individuals to the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA), a clearinghouse for more than 475 public and private assistance programs, including 180 offered by pharmaceutical companies.

Since the Program's introduction in January of 2005, nearly one million people have enrolled in Together Rx Access, a number that continues to grow by approximately 10,000 each week. To date, cardholders have saved more than $40 million on prescription medications and products.

About Duane Reade

Founded in 1960, Duane Reade is the largest drug store chain in the metropolitan New York City area, offering a wide variety of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, health and beauty care items, cosmetics, greeting cards, photo supplies and photofinishing. As of December 31, 2006, the Company operated 248 stores.

For more information about Duane Reade, visit http://www.duanereade.com/. About Together Rx Access

The Together Rx Access Card was created by leading pharmaceutical companies to help hardworking Americans and their families gain access to meaningful savings on prescriptions right at their neighborhood pharmacy.

To qualify for the Together Rx Access Card, applicants cannot have public or private prescription drug coverage or be eligible for Medicare. They cannot have a household income of more than $30,000 for a single person or $60,000 for a family of four (income eligibility is adjusted for family size). And they must be a legal resident of the United States or Puerto Rico. The Card is accepted at a majority of pharmacies nationwide and in Puerto Rico. There are no enrollment costs, monthly dues or hidden charges.

The companies participating in the Together Rx Access program include Abbott Laboratories; AstraZeneca; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; GlaxoSmithKline; Janssen, L.P.; LifeScan, Inc.; McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc.; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Ortho Biotech Products, L.P.; Ortho-McNeil, Inc.; Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc.; OrthoNeutrogena, a Division of Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.; Ortho Women's Health & Urology, a Division of Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.; Pfizer Inc; PriCara, a Unit of Ortho-McNeil, Inc.; sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC*; Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.; TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc.; and Vistakon Pharmaceuticals, LLC.

For more information about the Together Rx Access Card and to enroll in the Program, contact Together Rx Access at 1-800-966-0407, or visit TogetherRxAccess.com.

* Each Cardholder's savings depend on such factors as the particular drug purchased, amount purchased, and the pharmacy where purchased. Participating companies independently set the level of savings offered and the products included in the program. Those decisions are subject to change. + Visit TogetherRxAccess.com for the most current list of brand-name medicines and products.

Together Rx Access and the Together Rx Access logo are trademarks of Together Rx Access, LLC. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: Together Rx Access