PFIZER DRUG DISCOUNT PROGRAM- BEGINS ANOTHER
Pfizer Pharmaceuticals recently ended its prescription drug discount program targeted at seniors, called the “Living Share Card”, despite consumer advocates' requests for it to maintain the program until the Medicare prescription drug benefits are implemented in 2006. Pfizer ended its discount card program to focus on directing senior consumers to the new Medicare cards, Forest Harper, vice president of the Living Share Card program, said. Harper also noted that Pfizer recently began a new discount drug program to provide prescription drug assistance to uninsured people of all ages (Freudenheim, New York Times, 9/1). In August, Pfizer began enrolling uninsured U.S. residents in the program, which offers income-contingent discounts of 15% to 37% on drugs manufactured by the company. Low-income Medicare beneficiaries who have exhausted a $600 subsidy available under the new prescription drug discount card program qualify to pay a flat fee of $15 per prescription (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/19).
The new drug discount program is available to people of all ages and is not limited to Medicare recipients. Called “Pfizer Pfriends” (seriously) the discounts depend on family income:
- families earning less than $45,000 a year can save up to 50 percent, with an average discount of about 37 percent, off retail prices on Pfizer medicines; and,
- families earning more than $45,000 will be eligible for savings up to 25%, averaging 15 percent, off retail prices on Pfizer medicines.
- Low-income Medicare beneficiaries on all Medicare-approved drug discount cards will have access to many Pfizer medicines for a flat fee of $15 per prescription after they have exhausted the $600 credit.
Pfizer has also rolled-out an information and referral website and phone number to assist patients seeking financial assistance to purchase Pfizer drugs. Those interested can call the Pfizer Helpful Answers TM toll-free number 1-866-776-3700 or access the web site www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com. The toll-free number features trained, bi-lingual (English and Spanish) operators.. Helpful Answers also will refer patients to other programs for which they may be eligible, such as Medicaid, state prescription assistance programs and other publicly funded programs.
-Adapted from: Kaiser Daily Reports- http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.htm?DR_ID=25554; and Pfizer Press Releases of 7/7/04 and 8/18/04- ,http://www.pfizer.com/are/news_releases/2004pr/mn_2004_0707.html. Thanks to Kim Simonian for bringing to our attention.
09/2004