<s>
The	O
co-pay	B-Application
card	I-Application
appeared	O
in	O
2005	O
as	O
a	O
means	O
by	O
which	O
pharmaceutical	O
marketers	O
could	O
,	O
by	O
offering	O
an	O
instantaneous	O
rebate	O
to	O
patients	O
,	O
combat	O
their	O
challenges	O
to	O
prescription	O
pharmaceuticals	O
,	O
including	O
generic	O
competition	O
,	O
lack	O
of	O
patient	O
compliance	O
and	O
persistency	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
physician	O
population	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Typically	O
a	O
patient	O
will	O
receive	O
his/her	O
co-pay	B-Application
card	I-Application
from	O
their	O
physician	O
along	O
with	O
a	O
prescription	O
for	O
the	O
medicine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
a	O
patient	O
has	O
insurance	O
,	O
the	O
pharmacist	O
will	O
key	O
in	O
the	O
patient	O
's	O
insurance	O
number	O
in	O
the	O
primary	O
field	O
and	O
an	O
identifier	O
from	O
the	O
co-pay	B-Application
card	I-Application
into	O
the	O
secondary	O
insurer	O
field	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instantaneously	O
the	O
pharmacy	O
benefit	O
manager	O
provides	O
coverage	B-General_Concept
data	I-General_Concept
,	O
relaying	O
the	O
patient	O
's	O
out	O
of	O
pocket	O
,	O
or	O
co-pay	O
to	O
the	O
secondary	O
insurer	O
's	O
benefit	O
manager	O
,	O
who	O
then	O
provides	O
a	O
discount	O
accordingly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
example	O
:	O
A	O
brand	O
offers	O
a	O
co-pay	B-Application
card	I-Application
giving	O
patients	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
save	O
up	O
to	O
$20	O
off	O
each	O
prescription	O
fill	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
patient	O
receives	O
the	O
co-pay	B-Application
card	I-Application
and	O
visits	O
their	O
pharmacy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
patient	O
provides	O
his	O
insurance	O
card	O
and	O
co-pay	B-Application
card	I-Application
to	O
the	O
pharmacist	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
co-pay	B-Application
card	I-Application
benefit	O
manager	O
recognizes	O
the	O
$30.00	O
and	O
covers	O
the	O
$20.00	O
of	O
co-pay	O
,	O
leaving	O
$10	O
for	O
the	O
patient	O
to	O
pay	O
out	O
of	O
pocket	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
co-pay	B-Application
card	I-Application
takes	O
the	O
primary	O
insurer	O
position	O
where	O
it	O
recognizes	O
the	O
claim	O
as	O
that	O
of	O
a	O
cash-paying	O
patient	O
and	O
applies	O
$20.00	O
discount	O
to	O
the	O
patient	O
's	O
out-of-pocket	O
costs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
most	O
cases	O
the	O
service	O
provider	O
of	O
the	O
co-pay	B-Application
card	I-Application
program	O
holds	O
a	O
reimbursement	O
account	O
for	O
the	O
pharmaceutical	O
marketing	O
client	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
used	O
to	O
remit	O
to	O
pharmacies	O
the	O
cost	O
reductions	O
through	O
co-pay	B-Application
card	I-Application
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
providers	O
have	O
attempted	O
a	O
variation	O
on	O
the	O
original	O
co-pay	B-Application
card	I-Application
by	O
going	O
to	O
a	O
magnetic	O
strip	O
swipe	O
process	O
,	O
by	O
which	O
the	O
card	O
runs	O
through	O
both	O
the	O
pharmacy	O
software	O
and	O
financial	B-Application
software	I-Application
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
