When You Can't Afford Medication

[Bernard]

1) Contact the pharmaceutical company that makes your medication

Many pharmaceutical programs have indigent drug programs, assistance programs to help qualifying individuals afford medication. The best way to find out about such programs is to contact the individual companies.

The following resources can help you find drug assistance programs:

• helpingpatients.org: from PhMRA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America), a database of programs and contacts.
• The Medicine Program: An organization which helps patients, with help from the physician, enroll in patient assistance programs.
• Needy Meds: Another organization which helps patients learn about patient assistance programs.

...

See the original article for more ideas: Exploring options for inexpensive or free prescriptions

[POSITIVEPERSON]

Another suggestion is ask your Dr for samples because your lacking funds.

Ask the pharmacist if he knows of any free med programs your eligeable for.


GOOD LUCK
Riva

[brain]

Contacting your Drug Store (not the Department
Stores) like Walgreens, CVS, etc, for example,
and the Pharmacist(s) or Pharmacist Associate
can provide you assistance with direct information.
In some cases, they will provide you "emergency
medication(s)" if you are out if they are able to
be in contact with your Doctor(s) and you are
an established existing customer.

Your Neurologist / Epileptologist also has resource
information available, if not - contacting your local
major Hospital will be able to provide you with
resource information and even a Social Worker to
assist you in filing the required forms if necessary
in some areas.

Contacting your local County or State Health Dept
will also be of major assistance as well; as they
often have the direct links and sometimes you can
override a lot of "red tape" going through this way.

If you reside in a Major Metro Area or nearby one,
or 211 - HOTLINE is available - USE IT ~ they have
resource information available for you to call.

[1096]

i fear such a thing when i move out next year. i hope the pharmicist isn't a pretty young lady named lucy, i'd feel humiliated.

[MrBill]

The cost of my meds is definitely beyond my means, and if it weren't for the programs from the pharmaceutical companies I would prolly do without.

I had med insurance through an employer, then was making the premium payments myself thanks to COBRA benefits. Even at $250 a month the premiums were still less than any one of my meds would have been. All are relatively new, so there are no generics available.

Long story short, I lost my coverage when my HMO quit operating in my county (I still don't understand that) and scrambled to find another way. My neurologist pointed me to the programs run by the drug companies and this has been a Godsend.

The only problem is that many Dr's offices won't participate, feeling that the paperwork takes up too much of their valuable time. Each drug is made by a different company, which requires a different application, different proof of income, different methods of delivery, etc. MY GP quit helping, so I ended up at the county health clinic. So far they are doing a great job of keeping things flowing. I just enrolled for medical coverage at my job and hope that the premiums and co-payments don't put me in the poorhouse.

I can really relate to anybody with a chronic condition who is unable to get the proper care because they can't afford it.

If any of you need this kind of assistance, please rest assured that it is out there.

Good luck and good health to one and all.

[jkj1995]

I got approved from Together Rx/Johnson & Johnson for a year of Topamax. It was a fairly simple process. Fill out paperwork online, get doctor to fill out & fax form to company and send in last years tax form. It took less than 2 week to get approved and I should have the pharmacy card in the mail by the end of the week. Thanks Brain, I found out about this program from the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia you directed me to.

[Bernard]

[RobinN]

Great news!

[alivenwell]

I am convinced that there is no such thing as retirement for those who have any chronic disease. I have health insurance which does not cover formulary drugs unless I specifically request brand name. The fine print is really something we all have to read. It's a nasty thing to just have E. It's a double punishment to also have to pay for it.
It's a triple punishment if it was never your fault. Strike 3===you're out. We just have to find ways to beat the system. If I can retire (I doubt it), I'll be taking generics which do not really work for me. I'll go play the lottery now...........


Oh, and by the way, if we all get old enough, there are programs like PACE for people who meet specific income levels. SO, if we all go on welfare and act like we're interested in employment, we will get Medicare Part D combined with PACE. The thing we have to deal with is that doughnut hole when the deductables have to get met.

[Bernard]

Perhaps it's a good idea to explore alternatives when you can still afford to do so...

[alivenwell]

Yeah, but what's frustrating is:
1. I'm on the right meds.
2. My E is well controlled for at least 7 YEARS.
3. I live a healthy lifestyle- don't drink, don't smoke and I watch my weight.

Why should I pay for a higher quality of life when it's so unfair just to have to this condition. I'll probably hit a wall at sometime when the meds stop working, experiment under my dr's advice like a guinea pig until the right stuff is found again.

I feel like a lab rat!

[brain]

I got approved from Together Rx/Johnson & Johnson for a year of Topamax. It was a fairly simple process. Fill out paperwork online, get doctor to fill out & fax form to company and send in last years tax form. It took less than 2 week to get approved and I should have the pharmacy card in the mail by the end of the week. Thanks Brain, I found out about this program from the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia you directed me to.

That's absolutely awesome news to hear!

[alivenwell]

Congratulations! You're beating the system!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome!

[stringbean]

before I got my SSD I was getting all my meds except my klonopin, through the drug companies, samples from my doctors and another program sorry can't remember the name of the company.
With all the meds I'm on for my E and other health problems there would be no way I could pay for them all As of the end of October from the statement I received from my ins co almost three thousand dollars as of Oct. 31 was the cost of my meds for 2007.
congratulations, I am real happy to hear you have found a program to help you get your meds.

[Tate]

Hello Everyone

Reading everyones posts makes me feel so so so lucky for our governments programs and schemes they have in place for us..

I am on only 2 meds now, and I am on 2 strengths of both.. I did notice it about 12 months ago when I was working and was having to get 11 scripts and did not qualify for the government funded schemes....

In Australia we have schemes for pensioners and health care holders..... People that could be on a pension are disability pension, could be from injury or ill health many health conditions ( conditions that leave you unable to work) single parent pension.... you receive a fortnightly pension payment if your child is under 8 years old... once the youngest child turns 8 you still receive your pension card but are required to work 15 hours a week to continue receiving payments... people that would receive a health care card are unemployed they receive fortnightly payment and a health care card, that card ables the holder to access presciptions at a government subsidised price.... the concession cards also give some other benefits...

So under what is called pharmacuticals beneifts scheme (PBS)... which is meds that the government has covered...... not all medications are covered..... so you may have to pay full price or a larger amount..... depending on the price to purchase the meds from the manufacturer...... or things like the age of the drug.... it has to have proven research that it is effective for what it is treating.......

if you hold either a pension card... or a health care card the average price of a script is $4.90 au there are come that are not apart of that but do not reach exsessive amount..... some scripts branded name scripts may have a surcharge but often there is no significant difference it could be as little as 50c the biggest surchage I have paid is proberly around $5.00 au again some carry a higher amount.... There are proberly ones with higher surcharges ... ( I am so very lucky mostof mine have been government covered )

If you are not on a consession card the average price of a script is $30.00 they can still have surcharges, but they still dont tend to be very expensive charges....

If a med is not covered by the government it is called a private script and you tend to have to pay the full price given by the manufacturer..... my keppra would cost $164.00 au my lamicatal around $120.00 au,so i would be paying an approx figure of $560.00 au a month...

Another beneift to the PBS, is if u are on concession cards if you fill 55 scripts within a calander year for the remainder of that year all the scripts will be free of chage except the surcharge... so for my lamictal I would pay 0.90c au i used toreach it but now my meds have been taken right back I most proberly wont......

If you dont have a concession card your scripts are measured in the amount you have spent within in the calander year... so scripts would start around $10.00 to $40.00 the normal price for a script when covered by the goverment is about $29.00 things like antibiotics average about $12.00 - $16.00 au and I think the value is around $900.00 so after you have reached that you then pay the concession rate for your scripts. your scripts would fall from average $30.00 to an average of $4.90...

From what I have gathered from the post you must be paying such larger un affordable prices..... which is big kick in the teeth as people on medications such as ours or for other medical reasons already have much larger associated medical costs..... so you think they could give you some support rather then make it harder.... Thats why I so so appreciative to the system we have

Sorry if I seem ignorant I have no idea how your medical system works....

Could some one please tell me some of the prices you pay for your scripts and how much the difference is between a brand name med and a generic med of the same drug..... thankyou..

Sorry the post is so long..... and for rambling

Take care all
smile.... it ofen makes those around you smile

Tate xx

[Bernard]

Patient Assistance Programs For Seizure Medications

ATIVAN
Wyeth Pharmaceutical Assistance Foundation — 1-800-568-9938

CARBATROL
Roberts Pharmaceuticals (Shire US Patient Assistance Program) — 1-908-203-0657

DEPAKOTE
Abbott Laboratories — 1-800-222-6885

DIAMOX
Wyeth Pharmaceutical Assistance Foundation — 1-800-568-9938

DIASTAT
Xcel Patient Assistant Program — 1-908-850-9902

DILANTIN
Pfizer, Inc. — 1-800-707-8990

FELBATOL
Medpointe Pharmaceuticals — 1-800-678-4657

GABITRAL
Gabitral Assistance Program — 1-800-511-2120

KEPPRA
UCB Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — 1-800-477-7877 x 7

KLONOPIN
Roche Labs — 1-800-285-4484

LAMICTAL
GlaxoSmithKline Bridges To Access — 1-866-728-4368
*Advocate must call to pre-enroll each patient, please contact an EFWCP staff person for assistance.

MYSOLINE
Xcel Patient Assistant Program — 1-908-850-9902

NEURONTIN
Pfizer, Inc. (Connection To Care) — 1-800-707-8990

PHENYTEK
Bertek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — 1-888-823-7835

TEGRETOL, TEGRETOL XR
Novartis Patient Assistance Program — 1-800-277-2254

TOPAMAX
Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical — 1-800-577-3788

TRILEPTAL
Novartis Patient Assistance Program — 1-800-277-2254

ZARONTIN
Pfizer, Inc. (Connection To Care) — 1-800-707-8990

ZONEGRAN
Elan Medical Needs Program — 1-866-347-3185



From the EPILEPSY FOUNDATION (of Western/Central Pennsylvania)

Criteria:

SINGLES = $15,000.00
MARRIED COUPLES = $25,000.00

Some do not permit Medicare and Medicaid
Insurances, Some permits Medicare only but
not Medicaid Insurance. Call for more specific
Information. All forms must be filled out by the
Patient; provide proof of income, and Neurologist
or Epileptologist must fill out the remainder.

[Sharon/brain sent me this - she wasn't sure where to post it]

[mouse]

Wow, it really makes me grateful for what we have in Canada. You all need to move on up here.

Okay, drugs are still costly, but if you can't work, you get disability benefits, prescriptions are $2. Drugs that are pretty new or extra expensive you have to jump through hoops to get approved, but the doctors just have to vouch for the fact that they have tried alternatives and you need this one.

Keppra was one of those, $140 a week! We got approved. Until it was approved we managed because everything else was covered. Even if you go off disability, you can apply to still have the medical benefits.

I have been complaining about not finding a family doctor for my husband, and the weekly rotation of yahoos who are responsible for him but can't take time to read the crate of medical notes or even ask me what's important. However, this being a mystery brain disease, I am sure he has cost the medical system a million dollars by now. So he's alive, but I do have to keep my own notes. Also, because we don't pay, our records aren't "ours". The stuff I do have is because people have made me copies of reports when they shouldn't have. Two different doctors gave us a CD with the most recent MRI. Nice...I don't know how useful, but good to keep in my binder.

I think in the U.S., you guys are entitled to your own stuff?

You guys need to vote for medicare. We need to give our health care a swift kick in the pants. And a zillion dollars to buy more nurses and doctors.

[epileric]

I saw a preview for the show "Frontline". Next week they're comparing the American medical system to those in Europe & overseas (surprised Canada wasn't mentioned). Might be interesting to see what they say.

Meanwhile I gotta agree with Mouse, I"m staying in Canada for a while.

[mouse]

I haven't seen it, but apparently according to that Michael Moore documentary, CUBA is pretty darn great. Show up at the hospital...have some treatment, no questions asked! And, I'm sure a few places in Europe are nice too. Having said that...I fully realize that Michael Moore twists things to make his point more dramatic.

In Canada, our system is kind of shabby. Those real-life medical shows filmed in the US have some pretty spiffy looking hospitals, they look like the Ritz, with valet parking. Is that really how it is?

But six lumbar punctures in three months, and at least 10 MRIs in the past year...I do like us being socialist in our health care.

It kills me that we get all of these skilled immigrants to come to Canada, and then let them drive taxis instead of supporting them through upgrading their schooling so they can pass equivalency tests and doctor here in Canada. I believe we should PAY for their upgrading and ESL AND give them some extra money so they can feed their families while they are in school. And we so underfund that doctors get their education and then go elsewhere to work in places that have access to equipment and funding when we desperately need them here. Really, if it's not a huge emergency, you could wait months for an MRI. Or years for knee replacement.

Hospitals aren't big enough, so they have to admit people onto stretchers in the emerg department. They close patient dining rooms and turn them into giant ward rooms for patients who are mostly stable. It sucks. But it's free! Whee.

Right now I'm trying to see if the government has any funding for me to go to college since I'm going to be the only family breadwinner. Disability will pay Cord for all kinds of training and stuff, but not me. Not taking into account that he's really screwed up and will probably never be able to work. It's like they WANT us to stay on a tiny disability cheque forever. There is some funding, but not for a two year course...just one year. Always stupid rules.

[epileric]

I just caught the last 20 minutes of Frontline examining various democracies & their healthcare systems.

I'm about to watch the whole thing online & thought some of you might like to as well.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...rld_2008-04-15