Waterford — Each residence in town soon will receive a prescription discount card that will provide uninsured and under-insured residents with savings on prescription medicines at participating retail pharmacies.

As part of a new program only available to members of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the “Town of Waterford Prescription Drug Discount Card” will help residents save money on prescription medications any time they are not covered by insurance.

Anyone can participate in the program regardless of age or income and all prescription medications are covered, including pet prescriptions that can be filled at a pharmacy. Prescription cost savings average about 45 percent.

There is no cost to the town or to participating residents and discounts are also offered on other medical services including vision, hearing and LASIK services.

Waterford joins more than 40 other towns including Ledyard, Montville, Stonington, Westbrook, Branford and North Branford in offering the prescription drug discount cards. Those towns are among the 144 municipalities that belong to CCM, which began offering the prescription discount card program in July.

“This issue, and CCM’s solution, impacts residents across Waterford,” First Selectman Daniel Steward said in a Tuesday press release. “We can now easily ensure that our uninsured and under-insured residents have better prescription coverage.”

Almost 360,000 Connecticut residents - about 10 percent - currently lack health insurance and prescription plans and another 800,000 are under-insured, the press release states.

There are more than 63,000 participating pharmacies nationwide, including CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Stop and Shop, and Big Y, and other independent pharmacies.

There are no enrollment forms, membership fees, restrictions or limits on frequency of use for residents. Cardholders and their family members are encouraged to use the cards any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance.

For more information or to print the card, visit www.CTRxDiscountCard.com, and select Waterford from the drop-down menu.