Where to Find Free and Low Cost Ways of Obtaining Your Prescription Medicines

Some Free and Low Cost Options to Your High Priced Prescription Drugs

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance ...."brings together America’s pharmaceutical companies, doctors, other health care providers, patient advocacy organizations and community groups to help qualifying patients who lack prescription coverage get the medicines they need through the public or private program that’s right for them. Many will get them free or nearly free. Its mission is to increase awareness of patient assistance programs and boost enrollment of those who are eligible.... offers a single point of access to more than 275 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies."

Access the Partnership for Prescription Assistance at their website or by phoning toll-free 1-888-477-2669.

Here are links to some representative Patient Assistance programs:

AstraZeneca Patient Assistance Program "... to provide AstraZeneca medications free of charge to low-income patients who do not have prescription coverage, do not qualify for government-funded programs, and do not have the means to pay for the medications themselves. Patients enroll annually and, if approved for the program, receive free medication delivered right to their door."

"Uninsured patients of all ages, who are US citizens with a valid Social Security number, with an annual income below $18,000 per individual or $24,000 for couples, and who meet the requirements of the AstraZeneca Foundation may be eligible for this program...."

GlaxoSmithKine Orange Card Free Orange Card gives qualified seniors 20% to 40% off the usual price of GSK prescription medicines. To qualify, seniors must 1) be without public or private Rx insurance 2)have a single income of under $30,000 3) have a couple income of under $40,000. Click on link to access website or phone 1-888-ORANGE6.

LilyAnswers Prescription Assistance Program "... for Medicare-enrolled seniors and Medicare-enrolled people with disabilities, who have:

No other prescription drug coverage and
Individual annual income below $18,000 or household income below $24,000"

National Organization for Rare Disorder NORD "...Since 1987, NORD has administered medication assistance programs to assist uninsured or under-insured individuals in securing life-saving or life-sustaining medications. In addition to the estimated 50 million Americans who have no health insurance, an increasing number of insured individuals have policies that do not reimburse for prescription drugs. Others have policies with low annual caps on prescription drug expenditures."

"NORD works closely with humanitarian-minded pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to ensure that certain vital medications are available to those individuals whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to pay for their prescribed medications."

Pfizer Prescription Drug Discount Cards "... Pfizer is committed to helping eligible low-income Medicare beneficiaries get access to their Pfizer medicines as well as helping patients better manage their health care. Under a new law, Medicare will include a prescription drug benefit starting in 2006. That's 2 years away, but people need help paying for drugs now. Through innovative programs, Pfizer is working to bridge the gap until there is a Medicare prescription drug benefit."

Pfizer Patient Assistance Programs and Pfizer International Programs

The Merck Prescription Discount Program provides all uninsured Americans, regardless of age or income, with easy and immediate access to discounts of 15 to 40 percent off many Merck medicines. Under the Merck Prescription Discount Program, patients can present an innovative Instant Savings Certificate to their pharmacist along with a valid prescription and immediately save at least 10 percent on many Merck prescriptions. The certificates will be available in pharmacies, doctors' offices, clinics, churches and community centers free of charge. Patients also can print out Instant Savings Certificates at www.merckuninsured.com

Where to look for assistance in finding free and low cost prescription drugs.

Prescription Drug Assistance Program Medicare
State Medicaid programs
State programs for seniors, disabled or low-income
City, county & community programs (check your local phone book)
Drug discount cards, some of which are designed for seniors
Federal programs for military personnel or veterans

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 Drugs 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.comcan 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.