Abbott Joins National Program to Help Millions of Uninsured Americans Get the Prescription Medicines They Need
05 Avril 2005 - 2:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Abbott Joins National Program to Help Millions of Uninsured
Americans Get the Prescription Medicines They Need Partnership for
Prescription Assistance Unites America's Pharmaceutical Companies,
Doctors, Patient Advocates and Community Groups; ABBOTT PARK, Ill.,
April 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Abbott today announced its
participation in the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, the
largest-ever private-sector program to help patients who lack
prescription drug coverage get access to the medicines they need,
joining a national coalition of pharmaceutical companies, doctors,
nurses, pharmacists, other health care providers, patient advocates
and community leaders. "Abbott has always been committed to helping
patients gain access to the medicines they need, both through our
own company-sponsored patient assistance programs and through
programs provided in partnership with other pharmaceutical
companies," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive
officer, Abbott, and immediate past chairman of the Pharmaceutical
Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). "Now the Partnership
for Prescription Assistance brings together industry and the health
care and patient advocacy communities to give patients
unprecedented access to our medications." The Partnership for
Prescription Assistance offers a single point of access to more
than 275 public and private patient assistance programs, including
more then 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies.
Patients will also receive information on government programs for
which they may qualify, such as Medicare, Medicaid and the State
Children's Health Insurance Programs. As the only resource that
brings together nearly all existing patient assistance programs,
the Partnership for Prescription Assistance provides a central
navigation system that helps patients get access to needed
medicines. "During the past year, Abbott, PhRMA member companies
and our partners across the spectrum of health care have been
working hard to address the issue of access to medications," said
White. "For example, Rx for Illinois, one of the pilot access
programs, was highly successful. Nearly half-a-million people
inquired about the program and more than 50 percent qualified for
discounted or free medicines. The Partnership for Prescription
Assistance will give us an opportunity to assist millions of
patients in Illinois and across the country." Over the next few
months, Rx for Illinois as well as other pilot programs will be
folded into the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. Right now,
patients can contact either the Partnership for Prescription
Assistance or Rx for Illinois by phone (1-877-793-6745) or by
visiting http://www.rxforillinois.org/ . To find out if they may
qualify for one or more programs, patients can visit the
user-friendly Web site or call toll-free to speak with a trained
specialist who can provide application assistance in English,
Spanish and approximately 150 other languages. The Partnership for
Prescription Assistance is launching a substantial
awareness-raising initiative aimed at encouraging as many eligible
patients as possible to apply for public and private patient
assistance programs. Advertising starts today on network and cable
television and in national newspapers. The ads encourage people who
don't have prescription drug coverage and need help paying for
their medicines to call toll-free at 1-888- 4PPA-NOW or visit
http://www.pparx.org/ to find out if they may be eligible for
assistance. The Partnership for Prescription Assistance is also
working with local community leaders in all 50 states to encourage
patients to enroll. More than 50 national organizations including
the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of
Physician Assistants, American College of Emergency Physicians, the
NAACP, National Alliance for Hispanic Health, National Alliance for
the Mentally Ill, National Association of Chain Drug Stores,
National Medical Association, National Urban League, and United Way
of America, as well as hundreds of state and local organizations,
are working with America's pharmaceutical companies to spread the
word about the program. Patients who need help paying for their
prescription medicines should call toll-free at 1-888-4PPA-NOW
(1-888-477-2669) or visit http://www.pparx.org/ . Abbott's
Commitment to Access Abbott is committed to improving access for
patients -- access to critical medications, testing and quality
health care. Abbott's initiatives span the globe, from patient
assistance programs in the United States, to large-scale donations
of HIV tests to help stop the spread of HIV, to partnerships
designed to improve health care infrastructure in developing
nations. In 2004, nearly 360,000 people received free or discounted
drugs through Abbott's own patient assistance programs in the
United States, valued at nearly $242 million. Abbott is a global,
broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery,
development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and
medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics.
Abbott employs more than 60,000 people and markets its products in
more than 130 countries. Abbott's news release and other
information are available on the company's Web site at
http://www.abbott.com/ . DATASOURCE: Abbott CONTACT: Media, Melissa
Brotz, +1-847-935-3456, or, Jennifer Smoter, +1-847-935-8865, both
of Abbott Web site: http://www.abbott.com/ http://www.pparx.org/
http://www.rxforillinois.org/ Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/110328.html
Copyright