Patient Assistance Programs Make Prescription Drugs Available to Low-Income Patients

Over 47 million Americans under 65 are uninsured. Some do not have access to employer sponsored insurance, and some can not afford the rising premiums. Without insurance, it can be difficult for patients to afford prescription medication that helps keep chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, depression and hypothyroidism under control. A one month supply of the popular hypertension drug Avapro retails for over $70. Fortunately, there is a wide variety if prescription assistance programs that can help low-income Americans afford their medications.

Many prescription assistance programs are administered by drug companies. The Merck Patient Assistance Program provides free select Merck medications to patients without insurance coverage with an income of $20,240 or less for single patients or $41,300 for a family of four. Medications that are covered by the program include allergy and asthma drug Singulair and the osteoporosis medication Fosamax. If you do not meet the requirements for the free program, you can still obtain a 15% to 20% discount with the Merck Prescription Discount Program. Anyone can enroll an the program is free.

Pfizer also offers free medication through the Connection to Care program. The income guidelines are the same as for the Merck Program. Those patients with health insurance that are experiencing financial difficulties may still qualify through a hardship exception. The Connection to Care program covers 75 of Pfizer's drugs including Lipitor, Zoloft,Caduet, Relpax and Zyrtec. The Pfizer Friends program provides discounts to middle income patients without health insurance. Other prescription company funded programs include AZ & Me, from AstroZeneca and Direct Patience Assistance from Eli Lilly.

In addition to drug company programs, there are several organizations that can provide discounts or can help patients with application paperwork for other existing programs. The Partnership for Prescription Assistance Program works with low-income and uninsured patients to help enroll them in one of the more than 475 patient assistance programs that work with the PPA. More than 2500 medications are available through the PPA. In addition to helping patients with drug programs, they also help those who may be eligible for Medicare, Medicaid and state child health insurance programs.

More than 5 million Americans enrolled in patient assistance programs in 2005. Over 14 billion prescriptions were filled for patients in the program. By making prescription medication available to those that can't afford it, health care costs resulting from non treatment of chronic conditions are better controlled and help reduce the impact of inflation on health care.