Patient Assistance Programs

If you are taking prescription medications that you cannot afford to pay for, patient assistance programs may be able to assist you. Many pharmaceutical companies offer patients experiencing financial hardship assistance in obtaining their medications. In many cases, both the patient and the prescribing physician must fill out an application form.

GlaxoSmithKline

• GlaxoSmithKline offers three patient assistance programs to assist people that cannot afford their prescription medications. Each of the company's programs has specific income requirements based on the number of people in the household. In order to qualify for any of the programs, patients must reside in the United States.

  Bridges to Access offers assistance to low-income patients without any prescription medication coverage. Applicants must provide GlaxoSmithKline with pay stubs or other proof of income for the previous 30 days. This program excludes oncology medication.

  Commitment to Access is a program that offers oncology patients oncology medication and oncology-related products for no cost. In order to be eligible for the program, patients must have prescription drug coverage that only covers generics, or no prescription drug coverage at all. As of 2010, patients on Medicare Part D may be eligible for Commitment to Access if they spent $600 or more on prescription medications during the current year.

  Patients on Medicare Part D that need assistance paying for non-oncology medication may be eligible for GSK Access. As of 2010, patients must have spent $600 on prescription medications in the current year to be eligible.

AstraZeneca

• AstraZeneca offers AZ&Me, a patient assistance program, to patients that do not have prescription drug coverage or have Medicare and do not have adequate prescription drug coverage. Patients must apply for AZ&Me annually and meet income requirements based upon the number of people in the patient's household. To be eligible for AZ&Me, patients must provide proof of income and not be receiving assistance from another patient assistance program.

Pfizer

• Pfizer offers Connection to Care, a patient assistance program that allows patients to acquire free prescription medication through their doctors' offices. To be eligible for Connection to Care, patients must have no prescription drug coverage, have an income that is 200 percent or less than the Federal Poverty Line and reside in the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Upon qualification for the program, patients are eligible to receive any Pfizer-manufactured prescription drug free of charge for one year. Patients must reapply annually.