Partnership for Prescription Assistance Helps 2 Million People

Since its inception last year, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance has helped 2 million individuals find low-cost or no-cost medications by providing a single point of access to more than 475 assistance programs, according to a news release from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, which sponsors the initiative.

According to PhRMA, the PPA covers more than 2,500 medications, including generic drugs.

"The PPA is a lot easier for a patient than trying to go down a list of different medications and contacting different companies to find out what their eligibility is," said AAFP Board Chair Mary Frank, M.D., of Mill Valley, Calif.

"As I've discussed the PPA with AAFP members during the past year, what has surprised them is that about 150 of the 475 programs are through pharmaceutical companies, but the others are disease-based programs or private foundation programs," said Frank. "It's fairly easy to find out which pharmaceutical companies have assistance programs, but you have to spend a lot of time on the Internet to uncover the other programs. That's why the PPA has been as effective as it is. It went outside the industry itself to see who else might be able to help patients."

Frank also tells family physicians and patients, "It's always worth the call to the PPA. Don't make assumptions about who's eligible based on income, age or medication." Many PPA programs work on a sliding scale, so people who may not expect to qualify just might qualify, she added.

Patients may access the PPA online or by calling (888) 4PPA-NOW, or (888) 477-2669. Trained specialists will help callers, including those with Medicare Part D or private insurance, determine their eligibility for PPA programs and obtain applications. People who access the PPA online can give eligibility information and, if they qualify, download applications.

In addition, PhRMA recently announced that the PPA would begin using a database of free clinics and would start advising patients who don't have personal physicians to contact physicians at local clinics.

"I'm ambivalent about that," said Frank. "I want patients to get the medications they need, and for that, they should have someone caring for them on an ongoing basis, someone who knows what's the best medication for them and how it should be used. I'd like patients to be referred to family physicians, not clinics. However, because of economics or geography or whatever, a clinic may be where patients get their care."