A prescription drug discount program at the center of an investigation into an Elmore County Commissioner has been active in Limestone County since 2011, though it’s not widely used.

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange recently announced Commissioner Joe Faulk pleaded guilty to using his office for personal gain after receiving more than $63,000 in commissions from Coast2CoastRx. The company is a subsidiary of Ponte Verda Beach, Florida-based Financial Marketing Concepts Inc.

The Limestone County Commission approved the Coast2CoastRx program in 2011, but County Administrator Pam Ball said it wasn’t Faulk who visited and sold commissioners on the concept. She said the county paid nothing to be in the program.

Each time the card is used, the county receives $1 for every prescription filled. If 1 percent of county residents begin using the program, the county will receive $1.25 per prescription.

Seemingly very few people know about the card, however. From January through October, the county had only received $164. The commission received $393 in 2012, the first full year after implementing the program. The highest amount received by the commission was $689 in 2013, but revenues from the program have trailed off since. Only $289 was generated in 2015.

Ball said one reason why the card hasn’t caught on is because the county doesn’t have the staff to promote it and the card is not universally accepted. She explained large chain pharmacies accept the card, but it’s not used at all independent pharmacies.

Those interested in using the card are not required to fill out a form. The cardholder’s name and phone number is required, however.

The program has received a ringing endorsement from the Association of County Commissions of Alabama. Forty-eight of the state’s 67 counties are enrolled in the program.

The ACCA claimed in a July press release that Coast2CoastRx had saved Alabamians $34 million on prescriptions. The release said the Coast2CoastRx card allows residents — regardless of income, age, or health status — to participate in the program and save on the cost of medications.

“Coast2CoastRx has been an invaluable resource for county leaders seeking to assist citizens who need assistance purchasing their prescriptions,” said Sonny Brasfield, executive director of ACCA. “This program has helped counties improve the quality of life for thousands of individuals and families across the state by providing them with affordable access to critical prescription drugs.”

As per Faulk’s contract with Coast2Coast, he was to assist in acquiring marketing contracts with county commissions across the state in return for a commission each time a customer used the card to fill a prescription. Strange’s office said Faulk subsequently promoted the program to other county commissions without disclosing his personal financial interest, and facilitated the company’s dealings with county commissions.

A month after he entered the agreement with Coast2Coast, Faulk participated in the Elmore County Commission’s consideration of the plan and voted to enter a contract with Coast2Coast without disclosing his prospective financial interest to his fellow commissioners.

Faulk received commissions from his Coast2Coast contract totaling $63,651 between October 2011 and July. Faulk was arrested Oct. 25 and Elmore County subsequently terminated its contract with Coast2CoastRx. Faulk resigned Nov. 1 and his guilty plea was announced by Strange’s office on Dec. 1.