Business briefs

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

Dentist opens office

Dr. Christopher Koterwas, DDS, has opened an orthodontic practice in Prince Frederick to serve the residents of Calvert County.

Koterwas is a graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore school of Dental Surgery and has been in practice for four years. He has a second practice in California, Md. He, his wife and two children reside in St. Leonard. Koterwas is accepting new patients and accepts most insurance.

Free prescription card program offered

MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society, has agreed to work with the Maryland Rx Card Program to distribute cards so that more Marylanders can afford their medications. The card, which is free to all state residents, provides savings of up to 75 percent on prescription drugs at most local pharmacies including those at Maryland Giants and Safeways, according to a press release. This program has no restrictions to membership, no income requirements, no age limitations and there are no applications to fill out. 

"The high cost of medications has put so much strain on many Maryland families that we are seeing many of our patients stop taking them. We can't tolerate that and this is one other way that we can help them," MedChi President Murray Kalish said in the release.

Some of the participating pharmacies include CVS, Long Drugs, Shoppers Pharmacy and several others.

Registration forms are available in member offices to patients. MedChi processes registrations and sends patients a card, which they can use immediately. Its also possible to apply by going to www.medchi.org or to www.marylandrxcard.com and downloading an application.

The Maryland Rx Card program is available to people who have health insurance with no prescription benefits. Additionally, people who have prescription coverage can use this program for nonformulary or noncovered drugs.