I serve for a living.
I applied to the company not knowing what it was that the company did. I read the website and gained an idea but it did not become tangible until orientation week.
Essentially most pharmaceutical companies have patient assistance programs. These programs either give the medication to patients for free based on their income and insurance or lack thereof. Or the programs help the patients get reimbursed for the medication. Until I worked for my company, I never knew that this existed. It blows my mind.
With my job, I learned of the prices of medications and seriously, they are astronomical. Imagine if you will, a person who has AIDS. My Soror, Rae Lewis Thornton takes 26 medications. Each day. I would wager that her meds cost yearly at least $25,000 a year.
Think of the average person with AIDS (if there is such a thing). Most do not make $25,000 a year. How do you balance living expenses, doctor's appointments, and your medications?
It's a staggering thought.
I work with the mental health population, primarily those who are bipolar or schizophrenics, but we also have patients who have suffered from Traumatic Brain Disorder or Alzheimers. For the patient assistance program I work with, the medication is totally free. It is a blessing and makes me feel good to help those who need it. Medicare Part D is unfortunately eliminating many of our patients who still need our help no matter how small the copay is. For patients on limited income, a $5 copay can seem like $500, especially if they take more than one medication. Which most do.
I have patients who call in thankful for our program because the medication has saved their lives. I have family members who call in thankful for the program because their family member now lives a better life, a stable life.
I have a caseload of patients and typically talk to either patients, family members or patient advocates (social workers, nurses, etc.).
One day, I got a call from an older Black woman who only wanted to know when her next shipment went out. I told her the information and she was thankful. I could hear the relief in her voice. I asked her was there anything else that I could help her with. She said no. She said, "I love you." And reflexively, I said, "I love you, too." Many of my co-workers heard me. I told them quite frankly, that woman needed to hear that and who knows what she has been through in life. This medication is her anchor and our program provides that. I felt good telling her that. Who knows when was the last time she heard those words?
Today I had a man call in to enroll his grandson in the program. His son and daughter-in-law are both disabled and he told me make little money. I made myself the grandson's counselor to work on the file. I could hear exhaustion in the granddad's voice and told him I would mail him the application for the program. I asked him if he was aware that many other medications have patient assistance programs as well. He wasn't. I gave him the website to go and look up the other medications that his son and daughter-in-law take. When I told him, I could hear him feel a strong sense of relief. Again just something small that I tell many callers about.
I have been able to help my mother's friends get their medications with other patient assistance programs because these programs are a well kept secret.
If you know of people who have little income and no insurance but need medication, check out
http://www.needymeds.com and see if the medication has a PAP. Most do. I was amazed when I learned of the site.
I think that covers it. Lengthy I know.