Below is a "free" do-it-yourself resource for
locating free and low cost drugs.
Most
major drug companies provide free medications, but
rarely, if ever publicize the programs.
- Nearly
46 million Americans are lacking health care
insurance.
- Many
uninsured sick people can not afford
potentially life saving drugs.
- Many
pharmaceutical companies offer patient
assistance programs to help those who are
experiencing a temporary financial hardship
and do not have access to prescription
reimbursement programs.
- These
free drug programs are being used by only a
small number of people that could truly
benefit from them.
- These programs
usually require that you are not eligible for
any other form of assistance.
- Normally,
application for this type of assistance must
be made through you physician.
Generally
drug companies require a doctor's consent to
provide the medication and proof of the patient's
financial hardship.
Because each pharmaceutical company has their own
set of requirements and these requirements can
frequently change, it's not possible to summarize
them here.
How
to Find the Prescription Drug You Need
Look up the drug name in the alphabetical listing
below or in the
Directory
of Prescription Drug Patient Assistance Programs compiled
by the member companies of the Pharmaceutical
Manufacturers and Researchers of America.
Please be aware that pharmaceutical manufacturers'
names and programs can change and new prescription
drugs are frequently added.
If
a particular prescription drug you are using is
not listed in the
Directory
of Prescription Drug Patient Assistance Programs, just ask your pharmacist
or physician for the name of the manufacturer of
that drug and their phone number. It's certainly
worth a small effort on your part to find out if
there is a patient assistance program and if you
qualify for it.
How
to Proceed
1.
Phone the pharmaceutical manufacturer and ask them
if they have a patient assistance program. NOTE:
If they don't respond to the name "patient
assistance program", you might give them the
following alternative names by which these
programs are sometimes referred:
- reimbursement
program
- indigent
patient program
- compassionate
care program
- medical
needs program
2. Ask the
representative what the requirements are to participate in their
program. Some companies require that you have a
limited income or no insurance coverage, while
others require only that you get a doctor's referral.
3. If you qualify for a particular program, speak
with your doctor's office and let them know. In
most cases you will need your physician to
request your participation in a program by a phone call
or letter from your doctor.
4. Should
your doctor refuse to call or does not believe the
program will work, contact the drug company or
companies yourself and find out about the
application process. While you will still need a
doctor to fill out the application, you can at
least get the forms, and then encourage your
doctor to complete them.
You can also take
a look at the RxHope website. This
site is directed toward physicians and health care
providers and it might be a good "third
party" way to introduce this idea to your
physician and could help overcome any objections
your physician or health care provider initially
may have. There is a convenient online application
form which your physician or health care provider
can fill out... and which will make their
participation in these programs a lot easier.
If your doctor still
refuses, as a last resort it's possible that you can find another
doctor who will be willing to accommodate you and
your needs.
5. Ask the pharmaceutical company how you
will receive the prescription drugs, and how you
can get refills. It is the policy of most
companies to send the medications directly to your physician. However,
there have been reports of occasional delays in
receiving the drugs. It's best to find out
ahead of time what the drug company's shipping
policy and schedule is and what you or your doctor
should do if there's a problem or delay.
RxHope.com:
The Heart of The Pharmaceutical
Industry
"Please
note that the use of RxHope.com is
limited to Prescriber offices and
certain Patient Advocate
Organizations."
RxHope.com
The Heart of the Pharmaceutical Industry
provides Patient Prescribers and
Health Care Providers with
patient
assistance request form
"The
Pharmaceutical Industry is
committed to ensuring that
everyone who needs prescription
medications is able to receive
them.
"RxHope.com
can help prescribers
obtain these medications for their
patients when the patient is
unable to afford them and does not
have access to prescription
insurance or government-funded
programs.
"Best
of all, this service is FAST,
SIMPLE, and FREE. The procedure
for applying for these medications
is as simple as entering your
request on the “Patient
Assistance Request Form”. Once
completed, your request is sent
directly to the pharmaceutical
company for processing. That’s
it. No more forms to complete, no
red tape; no dead-end phone calls.
For More
Information About Low Cost
Prescription Drugs
CLICK HERE
