Prescription Program Helps Poor Stay Healthy
Like other health costs, prescription drug prices have spiraled out of control in recent years, rising at between three and five times the rate of inflation. But unlike many other health costs usually shouldered by an insurer or the federal government, about half the cost of prescription drugs is paid out of consumers’ own pockets, experts say.
Relief is in sight.
The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Assn. has a program to make free drugs more readily available to financially ailing patients through their doctors. About 44 of the nation’s largest drug companies have signed onto the association’s fledgling “drug indigent program” hot line, which provides doctors with information about free drugs to treat everything from a child’s ear or sinus infection to cancer. Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, the makers of Norplant, even provides contraceptives free to those who can’t afford them.
The hot line has been in operation only since last July, says David Emerick, a PMA spokesman. But it is already fielding about 700 calls a week--up from about 100 a week at its launch. And the PMA is making a push to get the word out through articles and advertisements in medical journals and cable TV stations that cater to doctors.
It’s worth noting that indigent programs are not new. Several big pharmaceutical firms have been offering free drugs to financially troubled patients for decades, Emerick says. However, the programs were rarely used, simply because they were difficult for doctors to track.
A glimpse at the PMA program directory shows why. Right now there are about 59 free drug “programs” offered by 44 manufacturers. Some of the programs apply only to doctors in particular states. Some programs cover only one or two drugs, while others cover every drug the manufacturer sells.
In addition, patient qualification standards vary. And so do the amounts of drugs supplied for free.
Some manufacturers won’t give out free drugs unless the doctor is also providing his or her services for free. Others require an application and financial statement from the patient and the doctor, proving that the patient is poor. Still others leave eligibility up to the physician.
For example, Janssen Pharmaceutica in Reston, Va., says that only patients with household income under $25,000 can get free drugs.
However, Immunex Corp. in Seattle has a more liberal standard: “The patient may or may not be poor, but retail purchase would cause hardship and other reimbursement options have been exhausted.”
However, in almost all cases, the companies will not provide the drugs for free if the patient can be reimbursed for drug costs through public or private insurance. Most hospital drugs are also not provided because they’re usually covered by public health plans, such as Medicare and Medicaid.
To complicate matters even more, some drug companies restrict supply based on the doctor who is making the application. For example, Hoechst-Roussel Pharmaceuticals restricts free drugs to “two patients per physician at a single time.”
Patients cannot apply for these programs individually; the doctors must apply for them.
If a doctor has prescribed a medicine you can’t afford, talk to him or her about these programs. It’s possible your doctor won’t know offhand whether there’s a program covering your particular prescription. However, he or she can call the PMA hot line and find out. (The hot line number is available only to doctors.)
You can, however, get an alphabetical listing of free drugs offered by specific companies by contacting the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room G-31, Washington, D.C. 20510. The telephone number is (202) 224-5364.
