Patient assistance programs are programs set up by drug manufacturers that offer free or low-cost prescription drugs — both brand name and generic — to individuals who are unable to pay for their medication.

All of the major drug companies have their own patient assistance programs, but they may have different eligibility and application requirements.

How They Work

Eligibility will vary by program. Generally, individuals must be in families that have incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. For a family of two in 2007, an income below $27,380 meets 100 percent federal poverty guidelines. When calculating 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines, this would indicate an income of $54,760 for a family of four. The individual cannot have prescription coverage from any public or private source and must be a resident or citizen of the United States. Some companies may require that a patient have no health insurance at all.

Information on medication available through the various patient assistance programs and applications for the programs are found at www.rxassist.org. RxAssist is a pharmaceutical access information center created by Volunteers in Health Care, a national resource center for safety net organizations that operates out of the Brown University Center for Primary Care and Prevention in Pawtucket, RI.

On the applications, the programs will ask about prescription coverage, eligibility for public insurance programs, and income and asset information. They also may ask for: proof of income, such as federal income tax statements or pay stubs; Medicaid or insurance denial letters; a prescription from a physician; and patient consent forms that are included with the application.

Most applications will require the signature of the physician, the patient, or both.

Special Assistance for Children

To help you wade through the vast information on public and private assistance programs available to help children in need, a Web site (www.kids.pparx.org) and phone number (1-888-477-2669) have been set up by the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. The partnership, which includes the YMCA, Easter Seals, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, established the site so parents and others could access more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs — many of which provide medicines for free or very little cost.

While children may be eligible for many of them, forty programs are available that specifically address children's needs. The children's Partnership for Prescription Assistance will work to connect qualified, low-income children and their families with discount prescription drugs — direct from the pharmaceutical manufacturer.