Erie County Executive Chris Collins said the county has partnered with ProAct Inc., a division of Kinney Drug, to help defray the costs of prescription drugs for residents.

Discount prescription drug cards will be mailed to thousands of Erie County residents in every community this weekend.

The cards are free and may provide significant savings for the uninsured and underinsured. They may be used by all county residents, regardless of age, income or existing health coverage.

Collins said there is absolutely no cost to the county for the program.

“We ’re always looking for ways to save taxpayers money, and when ProAct approached us with this program, it was a no-brainer,” he said. “This is a great opport to help families who do not have adequate benefits to receive affordable prescriptions.”

Residents must simply present the card at a participating pharmacy and will save an average of 35 percent on prescription drugs that are not covered by an existing insurance. The cards may also be used for medications for pets.

Most pharmacies in the area accept the ProAct cards, as do 57,000 pharmacies nationwide.

ProAct, which is responsible for printing and mailing the cards, recently added an additional benefit to the program to include discounts for vision care, LASIK surgery and hearing products and services.

“There are no enrollment forms to fill out, no membership fees, no income requirements, no restrictions on use and most importantly, no cost to participants,” said Dave Warner, president of ProAct Inc.

Social Services Commissioner Carol Dankert said residents who have prescription drug coverage can use the card to save money on drugs that are not covered by their health plan. Participants are said to save an average of 10 to 20 percent on brand name prescriptions and 50 to 70 percent on generic drugs.

Any resident of Erie County is eligible to participate in the program. Those who do not receive a ProAct card in the mail can get one at their local pharmacy or various county agencies or print a card online by going to www.nyrxdiscountcard.com.

For more information on the new benefits, visit www.proactrx.com, or contact ProAct’s help desk at 1-877-776-2285.