More patients seeking assistance to pay for prescription drugs

NEW YORK More data has shown that in the current down economy, more people are turning to assistance programs to help pay for their prescription medicines, The Wall Street Journal today reported.

Many manufacturer-sponsored programs are seeing a rise in those patients who request free or reduced price drugs. In order to qualify, patients must only make a capped amount per year. But sources said that as the economy sours, more people are making that low maximum amount.

“These programs have always been designed to be a safety net, but more and more people are falling into it,” Ken Johnson, spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, told the Journal.

AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer have all instituted programs to help patients pay for prescription drugs. Some drugs, such as Pfizer’s Zoloft, which can cost about $1,200 a year retail. Abbott Labs, also has initiated a program to assist its patients with paying for things like Synthroid, which retails at about $200 a year, reports have said.

Those patients needing more information on whether a prescription drug payment program is available for their medications or not may visit online resources NeedyMeds.org and pparx.org.