Education for Healthcare Professionals about Patient Assistance Programs

Pharmaceutical manufacturers offer programs that provide medications to eligible patients at no or at a reduced cost.
These programs are promoted by pharmaceutical manufacturers as one of their philanthropic efforts.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers’ patient assistance programs (PAPs):
- aid indigent patients
- reduce bad debt associated with uncompensated medication assistance at institutions serving large indigent populations.
PAPs have varying eligibility criteria and requirements for enrollment:

The criteria is established by the pharmaceutical manufacturer who sponsors the program.
Income limitations typically have a range that are program specific.
Many will not accept individuals who have medication coverage (insurance, etc), however, some will.
Each manufacturer has its own processes for patient enrollment that typically require the completion of an application and reporting of the patient’s health insurance coverage, assets, salary, and liabilities.
Many manufacturers require verification of patients’ financial status by certain documents including tax returns, W-2 forms, social security benefits, bank statements, and other asset reports.
Once verification is received by the manufacturer it is then evaluated and patient’s eligibility is determined.
Prescription for the medication is usually required.
Prescribing physician’s signature and other involvement by the physician is required.