In response to the ongoing challenges patients face in paying their out-of-pocket costs for their prescription medicines, Pfizer announced that it will immediately double the allowable income level for its patient assistance program, so that even more patients in need could be eligible to receive their Pfizer medicines for free. With this change, more than 40 medicines offered for free through the program will now be available to eligible patients earning up to 4 times the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) adjusted for family size ($47,080 for a single person; $97,000 for a family of four).
Through its Pfizer RxPathways program, Pfizer offers patients, including those with health insurance and those without, a range of individual services to help them gain access to Pfizer medicines. In the last five years alone (2010-2014), Pfizer has helped nearly 2.5 million uninsured and underinsured patients get access to more than 30 million Pfizer prescriptions, making it the most comprehensive program of its kind.
"We have listened to patients and acted quickly to significantly expand the eligibility of our patient assistance programs. While patient assistance is not a permanent solution, it is a necessary step for helping to solve some of the high co-pay issues that some patients face. The real solution is to have a system that provides patients with access to innovative new treatments their doctors' prescribe and insurance plans with good coverage," said Sally Susman, executive vice president, Corporate Affairs at Pfizer.
Pfizer has been helping patients gain access to the Pfizer medicines they need for more than 25 years. Through Pfizer RxPathways, Pfizer can also help connect patients to other assistance services the company offers if they are not eligible to receive their medicines for free. These programs include:
- Savings ranging from 35% to 50% off the retail price on Pfizer medicines for uninsured patients regardless of income
- Medicine access counseling to help patients get connected to the appropriate Pfizer assistance program
- Insurance counseling for select Pfizer medicines to help patients understand the coverage offered through their insurance plans
- Co-pay cards for those with private/commercial insurance and information on alternate sources of help, like independent co-pay foundations
- Referrals to other industry resources that may help if it is discovered a patient is not taking a Pfizer medicine
Patients, health care providers and patient advocates can visit www.PfizerRxPathways.com to learn more about Pfizer's programs, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, and to download applications or program brochures.
About Pfizer RxPathways
Pfizer RxPathways is a joint program of Pfizer Inc. and the Pfizer Patient Assistance Foundation™.
Pfizer RxPathways is part of Pfizer's corporate social investment strategy that focuses on leveraging the full range of the company's resources - people, skills, expertise and funding - to broaden access to medicines and strengthen health care delivery for underserved people around the world.
About Pfizer Inc.
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us.