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"We've been there. We can
help."
| Help
with Medications
One of the most frustrating dilemmas
facing patients with mental disorders is the fact that many medications
are quite costly, especially brand-name pharmaceuticals. At the same
time a large percentage of these same patients are too poor to afford
psychotropic drugs in the dosages recommended by their doctors. What
can they do?
1. Ask for free samples -
Most physicians and psychiatrists have a supply of medications given to
them by pharmaceutical salesmen, and may be able to give you enough to
determine whether they are effective or not.
2. Contact the pharmaceutical company -
Many pharmaceutical firms have programs to help people on limited incomes
to obtain their medications, either for free or at a discount. For
example:
HelpingPatients.org:
PhMRA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America), with 48
member companies. "In 2003, PhRMA members provided free
prescription medicines to more than 6.2 million patients in the United
States."
Needy
Meds: A source of information on patient assistance programs.
Other programs are available
from Medicare
and The Medicine Program.
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3.
State
Assistance Programs - Unfortunately, Colorado does not have any,
but other states do. 4. Medicaid -
In some states,
if you qualify for SSI (Supplemental Security Income), you may
automatically be entitled to Medicaid. Check out the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services Web site, or contact your local
Medicaid agency or county mental health agency for more information.
5. Generic drugs -
Some people
will say that the brand-name drugs are better, but if you find the generic
equivalent to be acceptable, and the medication is available as a generic,
it's easy enough to ask your doctor to write the prescription in such a
way that a pharmacist can dispense either one or the other.
6. Pill splitting -
There are
many examples where a double dose of a medication costs about the same or
only slightly more than a single dose. Sometimes pill splitting is
not recommended because of concerns over liability issues, or because
precise dosage is critical. In any event, this is something to be
discussed with your doctor. The
Bipolar
Disorders Center has a list of toll-free numbers you can call if you
are a low-income patient needing medications. It also has helpful
information on medical savings accounts, doctors' samples, clinical
trials, and miscellaneous discounts. |
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El
Paso County Residents Get Prescription Drug Assistance
Three programs in El Paso
County are putting prescriptions drugs within the reach of low income patients.
The prescription assistance
solution service, or P.A.S.S. card, will use existing drug company discounts to
get chronic disease medications to income qualifying patients. Call Diana at
329-7103
The second program,
Physicians Rx Care Card, is a free pharmacy discount card available to any
resident of El Paso or Teller County. Call 591-2424 for more information.
The third program, P.N.S.
stands for Practice Net Solutions, and accesses mental health providers for
those with no insurance. Check with your doctor or therapist to see if you
qualify. Diana at 329-7103 can answer questions.
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| Free
Meds and Solutions
Our
Focus at Free Meds and Solutions
is to provide you and your loved ones with programs that will assist you
in your continuous effort to save or eliminate prescription medicine costs
as well as a number of associated assistance programs. Our
site is designed to assist you in accessing the 100’s of Patient
Assistant Programs. We provide the most
up-to-date information, qualifying criteria, applications and detailed
instructions for these programs.
www.freemedsandsolutions.com
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The
Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) 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.
To find out if they may qualify for one or more programs, patients can
call toll-free 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) to speak with a trained
specialist who can provide application assistance in English, Spanish and
approximately 150 other languages.
To boost enrollment of eligible patients in patient assistance programs
nationwide, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance is rolling out an
extensive grassroots awareness program. Over the next year, the PPA will
work with community leaders to establish chapters in all 50 states. In
addition, efforts will be supported by a substantial national broadcast
and print advertising campaign.
More than 50 national organizations including the American Academy of
Family Physicians, American Academy of Physician Assistants, American
College of Emergency Physicians, NAACP, National Alliance for Hispanic
Health, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, National
Association of Chain Drug Stores, National Medical Association, National
Urban League, United Way of America, as well as a fast-growing list
of state and local organizations, are working with America's
pharmaceutical companies to spread the word about the program.
www.pparx.org
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| Rx Outreach
Rx Outreach is an easy and affordable way for people of all ages to get
medicines they need. Through this program, people who qualify financially
can get more than 55 generic medications that treat a wide range of
conditions including diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and depression.
People may take advantage of the program even if they receive medicines
through another discount program. The program is available to individuals
and families with incomes of up to 250 percent of the federal poverty
level. For a family of four, this figure is about $48,000 per year.
www.rxoutreach.com |
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