Drug manufacturers Expand Their Prescription Drug Assistance

The current economic slump has affected scores of patient's power to pay for their prescription medication. Some prescription medicine companies are responding with improved prescription medicine support. Merck, which makes Singulair for asthma, Januvia for diabetes and Fosamax for osteoporosis, increased the amount of total annual income a family can make and still meet the criteria for free prescription drugs in March. Those making less than $43,000 and families of four making less than $88,000 instantly can become certified for aid with prescription drugs. Merck says it has helped 1.7 million patients with $1.9 billion of prescription medication over the last seven years.

"We are committed to helping patients, and that commitment is evident in the $140 million of financial assistance we provided in 2008," spokesperson Shannon Altimari from drug manufacturer Biogen states. Biogen Idec provides help for prescription Avonex and Tysabri which is used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Pfizer announced a program at an earlier time this year called Maintain that provides free drugs to not working Americans who want prescription drug help. Maintain is merely one of a number of patient assistance programs that the manufacturer offers.

AstraZeneca just announced that it was changing its prescription medicine assistance program to provide aid quicker to individual patients. The company's plan offers free of charge drugs or low-cost prescription medicine to uninsured, low-income individuals. AstraZeneca said in a statement that it "would immediately extend assistance to qualifying patients who have lost their jobs, had their incomes reduced or had a change in marital status or family size". The manufacturer said these types of individuals had been having troubles qualifying for prescription medication for the reason that their tax returns showed too high an income. Qualifying people can right now register by providing documentation of their present earnings and household size, AstraZeneca said.

Ben Ferris is a patient that has experienced such problems. The 57 -year-old cook was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2007 . His income from social security and a small disability policy scarcely covers his mortgage, health bills, and other living expenses. "I have tried all sorts of things to establish if I can find drug help," he claims. He called the prescription medicine companies, Social Security, and his healthcare provider's office. He has also followed quite a few leads on the Internet and in the end found a company that would see to all of the paperwork for him.

His medicine cost over $675 a month and his health care expenses are more than $425 per month. "There were times when I have had to miss out taking my drugs for a day or two," he admits. He is not positive what the future holds for him but at least at this instant he is receiving the assistance with medication that he wants.

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Prescription drug help is available now! Kirby Horton is Founder, President and CEO of Rx Help, a Prescription Assistance Company. He has over 30 years experience helping Americans with their healthcare needs. He can be reached at 866-960-9497

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