Updates On Free And Discount Medications

In the Spring of 1999, our newsletter gave information on free medications from the Directory Of Prescription Drug Patient Assistance Programs. Since that time, the Directory has gone on-line with an updated list of the pharmacological companies that participate in giving free medications to patients who are of low income, do not have insurance that covers their medications, or who, for other reasons do not have access to their prescribed medications. The new web site is http://www.phrma.org/patients.

Recently we also became aware of a discount prescription service for individuals who do not have insurance coverage. This service is called YourXPlan administered by Reader’s Digest and Merk-Medco. The only requirements are that you not be a member of a prescription plan administered by Merk-Medco Managed Care L.L.C., and that you are 18 years of age or older. Apparently you can get discounts on all prescription medications, counseling from registered pharmacists, and emergency access to a pharmacist 24 hours a day. There are 40,000 participating pharmacists. The program requires an annual membership fee of $25 for an individual and $40 for a family to enroll. To access the on-line site go to http://www.yourxplan.com.