Keeping in touch with Pat Ingraham

It’s been awhile since I have had the opportunity to share with you a couple of resources that might be of value to you in helping to alleviate some of your medicinal concerns and struggles.

One such resource is offered by Pfizer. For more than 25 years, a key priority for Pfizer has been helping eligible patients access Pfizer medicines. They offer this assistance through Pfizer Helpful Answers, a Pfizer’s family of patient assistance programs. Through Pfizer Helpful Answers programs, they provide Pfizer medicines for free or at a savings to uninsured and underinsured patients who qualify. Some of their programs also offer reimbursement support services for people with insurance.

The first step in helping patients access their medicine is making sure they know that help may be available and one way to communicate this message has been through Pfizer’s’ partnering with leading national, regional and local community based advocacy organizations to collectively raise awareness about Pfizer Helpful Answers.

To further support Pfizer’s programs, its partner organizations are helping spread the word regarding what help may be available to meet an individual’s prescription needs. Pfizer created yet another tool this year to accomplish this called the ”Advocate Corner” which can be found on the Pfizer Helpful Answers Web site. Individuals seeking assistance may engage with advocacy organizations directly about Pfizer Helpful Answers programs, patient assistance and access to medicines through this website portal.

You can access this online at www.AdvocateCornerPHA.com. In the Pfizer Helpful Answers “Advocate Corner,” you will find:

• Up-to-date overview of the uninsured landscape;

• Information on the Pfizer Helpful Answers commitment to the uninsured through their various grassroots events and innovative community initiatives; and,

• Pfizer Helpful Answers educational materials and a comprehensive list of both national and local patient assistance programs to help people access their medicines.

To see if you qualify for assistance, or if you would like more information on what programs are offered, or if you need prescription assistance, you may contact the Pfizer Helpful Answers program by calling 1-866-706-2400 or visiting their website at: www.PHAHelps.com.

Another resource is PhRMA, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which is a sponsored partnership for prescription assistance that matches struggling patients to free or discounted medicine programs. It’s called Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) and was launched eight years ago.

The PPA is a single point of access to more than 475 programs that provide free, or nearly free, medicines to qualified patients. Almost 200 of these programs are actually sponsored by the biopharmaceutical companies themselves. You may contact the PPA at 1-888-477-2669 or access their website at: www.pparx.org to see if you qualify for assistance and, if so, which programs might be available to help you. The service is free, the process is confidential and there is no charge to the patients to use this program.

Please do not hesitate to contact these resources if you have questions about how these programs could help you, as a helping hand can brighten your day and lift your load during the difficult times that you might be facing as you seek to maintain your health.

Now it is your turn to “Keep in Touch” by contacting me regarding your questions or concerns. I can be reached via e-mail at pathd13@blackfoot.net, or call me at 827-4652 or by mail at P.O. Box 1151, Thompson Falls, Montana 59873.