Special Reduced and Free Prescription Drug Programs

Many of the companies that manufacture prescription drugs offer free or reduced cost programs for consumers who cannot afford them. Eligibility for the programs varies and there are different application procedures. In some cases, your doctor must apply for the help while other companies allow you to apply directly. In others, you must be eligible for Medicare to apply and some companies will only help if you are not receiving any other private or publicly funded drug benefits.

Clearinghouses for multiple programs helping low-income persons or medicare recipients

• The Maryland Medbank Program - helps you apply for these drug manufacture programs.
• NeedyMeds - nonprofit website that keeps a current list of drug manufacturer patient assistance programs
• TogetherRX Access - a joint website sponsored by several drug manufacturers that offers a discount card for qualified individuals and families without prescription drug coverage
• List of Drug Manufacturer Patient Assistance Programs - websites that offer help directly to low income persons and Medicare recipients
• Ask Your Doctor to Help - Resources for physicians seeking to help patients find free and discounted drugs

Programs for specialized audiences

• Military Programs
• Programs for persons with HIV/AIDS

Help for anyone, regardless of income or age

• Buy on-line for discounts
• But check out the companies

Needymeds lists drug company programs offering free or low-cost medicines.
The NeedyMeds website was started in 1997 by a home health social worker who had collected information about drug company programs to help her low-income patients find affordable medicines. With the help of a family physician, this website was begun to help consumers by putting together lists programs sponsored by drug manufacturers to help low-income patients receive free or low-priced medicines on its website.

• You will need to contact the individual drug companies to apply or get help with your application from Medbank of Maryland, Inc.
• Medicare recipients can also use a chart on the Needymeds website to compare drug company’s discount card programs, such as Together Rx, Novartis Care Card, GlaxoSmithKline’s orange card, Pfizer share card and Lilly Answers.

The TogetherRx Access program - Several major drug companies have created a joint website that allows you to apply for a card (TogetherRx Access) that offers discounts on over 300 medications manufactured by these companies. You use the card to purchase the drugs at your local pharmacy.

To qualify, may not be eligible for Medicare or Medicaid and must have no other prescription drug coverage. Most of the companies have income limits. The amount you can save on prescriptions with the discount card varies by individual programs. In addition, different pharmacies may charge different prices for the covered medications. This is because the discounts are applied to the “usual” prices that pharmacy charges and these "usual" prices vary from store to store. Generally, the free program offers savings of 25-40%and possibly more.

• You can download an application form or apply on-line.
• The website lists the medications covered by the program
• Frequently asked questions about the TogetherRx Access program includes the financial guidelines (button on the right side called "Eligibility requirements".
• Sponsors of the TogetherRx Access program say that information you submit on the application will not be given to individual drug companies or others to use in marketing.

Ask Your Doctor to Help - The Roberts Wood Johnson Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to healthcare issues, supports a national program called RxAssist. The main goal of the program to assist the organizations seeking to offer services to the low-income uninsured and underserved persons.

• There are 2 excellent charts that summarize many of the drug manufacturers’ program that offer phone numbers for the programs. You will need to use a free program called Adobe Acrobat Reader to read these files.
• The website also offers your doctor a searchable database to assist him/her in locating the correct patient assistance program. The website allows searches by company, brand name, generic drug name and class of drugs. You may want to bring this site to your doctor’s attention as many of the programs listed require that a physician apply on our behalf.

Manufacturers’ Patient Assistance Programs - Some pharmaceutical companies also have discount drug programs to help low-income people of all ages.

• AstraZeneca - AstraZeneca’s Patient Assistance Program provides free medicines to low-income patients who do not have other prescription drug coverage, do not qualify for government programs such as Medical Assistance, but cannot afford to pay for medicines. You can download an application from the website or call 1-800-424-3727 to request an application.
  • Your physician will also need to sign the form.
  • AstraZeneca also sponsors the Caring Partners Program, which provides free medicines to low-income outpatients at hospital clinics in low-income neighborhoods.
• Abbott Laboratories - offers free medicines to patients who are financially needy and have no other insurance coverage. The medicine is provided through physicians. You can call 1-800-222-6885 for general information about the program, but your doctor must apply to participate by calling the toll-free number listed here.
• Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc.– has a programs in addition to TogetherRx Access that help people who cannot afford the medicines they need. One program is for people of all ages, and one is for Medicare recipients.
  • Patient Assistance Program provides free medicines to financially needy patients who have no other prescription drug insurance. To apply, ask your physician for an application to fill out. If s/he does not have an application form, ask the doctor to get one by calling 1-800-625-6227. If you qualify for the program, the medicine will be delivered to your doctor’s office. .
• LillyAnswers offers discounts for Medicare Recipients - Eli Lilly and Co. sponsors a program called LillyAnswers that provides a discount card for low-income Medicare patients. You can use the card to get a lower price on Lilly medicines at a local pharmacy. If you have a chronic disease, you could save up to $600 a year on each prescription drug that you regularly take. You are eligible if:
  • You are in a Medicare Part D plan.
  • Income at or below 200% Federal Poverty Level.
  • Apply online or call toll free 1-877-795-4559.

Active Duty Military Pharmacy Program - Individuals and families who are eligible for treatment at a military treatment facility(MTF) can have prescriptions filled without charge at an MTF pharmacy. Military and dependents who take medications on a regular basis can receive medications through the TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP) program, if you have registered. If you have not registered, you can register at the Express Scripts website. If there is a medication that the doctor wants you to start taking immediately, you can get the prescription filled at a TRICARE retail network pharmacy, but there is a co-pay. You are eligible if you are:

• Active-duty military, world-wide
• A TRICARE-eligible beneficiary under age 65 (family members of active duty personnel, retirees under age 65 and their family members)

Military Pharmacy Program (seniors, survivors and some former spouses) - Uniformed services beneficiaries aged 65 and over who are registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System can get low-cost prescription drugs through the TRICARE Senior Pharmacy Program. Depending on your age, you may be required to enroll in Medicare Part B to participate in the TRICARE pharmacy program. You do not have to apply to participate in TRICARE, but you will need to present your current military identification card when you use the TRICARE benefit. Under TRICARE, the amount of your co-pay will vary by the drugs you are prescribed. Call 1-877-363-6337 for information about eligibility, enrollment, and benefits.

Help with HIV/AIDS drugs

• In Maryland - The Maryland AIDS Drug Assistance Program (MADAP) helps low to moderate income residents pay for some drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS. You do not have a prescription co-pay with MADAP, but may have to pay a monthly fee to participate, depending on your household income. You can find out more about the program and apply online by visiting the website.
• Nationally, the Access Project is a nonprofit information clearinghouse, supported by grants from foundations, government, the pharmaceutical industry, and private donors. The Project offers information about medications available for HIV and AIDS through Medicaid, AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs), and pharmaceutical industry sponsored patient assistance and expanded access programs.

You can buy on-line for discounts - There are a number of pharmacies that offer prescription drugs by mail and you can order online. You can find some prescription drugs at lower prices by reviewing some of these options. While there is no specific discount program or card, the reduced costs of operating a website allow pharmacies to offer cheaper prices on some items. These discounts may not be very large because the discount usually comes out of the pharmacies share of the profits. (Most of the profit – about 2/3 to ¾ - goes to the drug manufacturer.)

But check out the companies. Be wary of companies that offer drugs over the Internet from overseas locations that are not subject to the U.S Food and Drug Administration law enforcement. Look for an on-line pharmacy that is VIPPS certified, which means that it is sanctioned by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. To search the pharmacy of your choice, click on  Accreditation Programs and select VIPPS. Scroll down and click on the link labeled "click to search". The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy is the professional association that represents the state boards of pharmacy in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, New Zealand, eight Canadian Provinces, and three Australian states. In the United States, this means that these are professional operations that follow all federal and state laws, have licensed pharmacists on-call, protect your confidentiality and follow the industry standards in storage and shipping of medicines.

Last date reviewed (no legal content) April 2008 (PLL/M.A.J.)