Mandeville residents can now receive a discount on their prescription drug cost thanks to a program adopted by the City Council Thursday night.

The city is making free prescription drug cards available to its residents through a program sponsored by the National League of Cities. There is no charge to the city for the program, and the city’s only responsibility is to distribute the cards.

The cards will be made available to anyone with a Mandeville address and may be pick up at City Hall starting Nov. 1. The cards will offer approximately 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs that are not covered by insurance.

There is a limit of one card per family, but there is no limit as to how many times a card can be used.

The program is available to anyone regardless of a resident’s age, race, income level or amount of insurance coverage, and is accepted by most pharmacies.

The program was introduced by City Council member Carla Buchholz, who read about the program while visiting in Laurel, Miss. She said it took some time to get the information she needed to bring the program to Mandeville, but now that she did she could not be happier.

“In the current economic climate, where many people are watching what they spend, the NLC prescription discount card will offer significant savings on the purchase of prescription medications for our residents,” she said.

“Whether or not an individual has prescription coverage,” she said, “this program can make it easier for our residents to afford the drugs they need to deal with a short-term illness or stay healthy by managing a chronic condition.”

Buchholz said this program could be especially helpful for families who do not have medical insurance.

All a person has to do it pick up the card and bring it with them when they order a prescription.

The city will receive statistics on how much residents are saving using the cards and how many residents are using the cards, but Buchholz said no personal information will be gathered using the program.

Mandeville is the second municipality in Louisiana to join the program, and Buchholz said she hopes the other towns and cities in St. Tammany Parish follow Mandeville’s lead and look into offering this program for their residents.

In order to participate in the program a municipality must be in good standing with the National League of Cities.