Prescription Assistance

• To publicize Patient Assistance Programs.
• To help those who would otherwise be unable to afford needed medications. 

Prescription medications are an important part of healthcare. But a growing number of individuals lack the health coverage and financial resources to purchase the medications they need.

Many pharmaceutical manufacturers offer “patient assistance programs” (PAP) for individuals who would otherwise be unable to afford needed medications.  In fact, each year billions of dollars worth of free medications are given away through U.S. pharmaceutical patient assistance programs. 

Each pharmaceutical company has its own income eligibility criteria and application requirements; therefore, knowing how to access these patient assistance programs is important (additionally, there are a variety of other programs, both public and private, that can help individuals with their medication costs).

There are a number of web sites that can help individuals determine what programs are available to assist them based on their individual medication needs, income, age and other factors. These web sites help identify the applicable prescription assistance programs, provide information on eligibility criteria and application requirements and, in some cases, include downloadable versions of the applications.

Here are some sites that provide valuable assistance.

Note that Human Arc is not responsible for the accuracy/reliability of the information contained in the websites; we offer these listings only as an educational service to the populations we serve.

•  www.needymeds.com   NeedyMeds, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation that provides information about patient assistance programs for no-cost prescription medications for eligible participants. This web site offers lists of brand and generic name pharmaceuticals, their makers/suppliers, how to apply for their patient assistance programs, downloadable application forms, information on state and local healthcare-related assistance programs, answers to many frequently asked questions, plus a wealth of other knowledge in this area.
• http://www.rxassist.org The RxAssist Patient Assistance Program Center web site features information, news, answers to frequently asked questions, and a database that are all designed to help people in need find out about ways to get affordable or free medications.  The database includes information on a wide array of pharmaceutical companies' patient assistance programs and programs that provide free medication to low income patients.  RxAssist was created by Volunteers in Health Care, a national, nonprofit resource center for health care programs working with the uninsured.
• www.pparx.org   The Partnership for Prescription Assistance brings together drug 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.  Organizations collaborating on this program include, among others, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, the Lupus Foundation of America, the NAACP, the National Alliance for Hispanic Health and the National Medical Association.