Where Can I Get Help Paying for Diabetic Medications?

Drug companies have recognized that some of their medications are cost prohibitive for many people. In an effort to help, they have established patient assistance programs. For individuals with limited incomes who cannot afford their medications, and for those without health insurance, these patient assistance programs are life savers. The eligibility requirements for these programs are similar from one company to another, and you can get one or more medications from each company.

Pfizer Inc.

• Pfizer, like many other drug manufacturers, has a program designed to assist those who are unable to afford their diabetes medications. Once a person is accepted in the program his prescribed medications are free of charge. An application for the program is available at
  http://www.pparx.org/prescription_assistance_programs/list_of_participating_programs, or you can contact the program by mail or phone at:

  Pfizer Pfriends
  P.O. Box 66543
  St. Louis, MO 63166-6543
  1-888-791-5277

Glaxo Smith-Kline

• This company's patient assistance program provides medications for free to people who are U.S. residents, meet specified income guidelines, are already enrolled in a Medicare Part D program and who have spent at least $600 on prescription medications in the current year.

  The application can be downloaded at www.GSK-Access.com, or you can phone [phone]-HELP (4357), Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The mailing address is:

  GSK Access
  P.O. Box 52046
  Phoenix, AZ 85072-2046

Bristol-Myers Squibb

• Bristol-Myers Squibb has a patient assistance foundation that is a not-for-profit organization providing temporary assistance to patients who qualify. The patient must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident alien. The program can be reached at:

  Bristol-Myers Squibb Patient Assistance Foundation
  P.O. Box 1058
  Sommerville, NJ 08876
  1-800-736-0003

Eli Lilly

• Eli Lilly was the world's first company to produce insulin commercially back in 1923 and remains the industry leader today. Its prescription assistance program, called Lilly Cares, is open to U.S. residents who are uninsured. An outline of the requirements for assistance along with a Lilly Cares application can be downloaded from the website at http://www.lillycares.com/Pages/index.aspx, or you can call 1-800-353-6962.

Additional Resources

• If more assistance is needed, there are other resources that may be able to help. A comprehensive listing of those sources can be found on http://www.needymeds.org/program_list.taf, which has information on more than 400 organizations and companies that provide patient assistance programs.