Merck expands patient assistance programs to provide medicines to needy people

Today, Merck announced that it has significantly expanded the number of Merck medicines available through its Merck Helps™ patient assistance programs, which include the Merck Patient Assistance Program, the Merck Vaccine Patient Assistance Program, the ACT Program for Oncology and Hepatitis C medicines, and the SUPPORT^® Program for HIV/AIDS medicines. The Merck Helps programs provide Merck medicines and vaccines free of charge to eligible individuals, primarily the uninsured, who earn up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level who, without assistance, cannot afford needed Merck medicines.

“Our patient assistance programs now provide access to even more medicines for chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure, allowing us to reach more people in need.”

To help increase awareness of all patient assistance programs, the Merck Company Foundation has provided a grant to NeedyMeds, a nonprofit organization with a mission to help people who cannot afford medicine or healthcare costs by making information about these programs available at no cost. NeedyMeds will be using the grant to translate its website into Spanish as well as working closely with various healthcare clinics to increase knowledge of and access to patient assistance programs.

"Merck has historically recognized the critical need for people to have access to the prescription medicines and vaccines they require, even if they lose their insurance," said Michael Rosenblatt, M.D., executive vice president and chief medical officer at Merck. "Our patient assistance programs now provide access to even more medicines for chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure, allowing us to reach more people in need."

A recent telephone survey of more than 2,000 Americans, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Merck, found that more than one third (35%) of those who are uninsured and unemployed did not buy or refill medicines they were prescribed, cut their dosage in half, or took expired medicine as a way to save money. Furthermore, while 32 percent of U.S. adults are potentially eligible for patient assistance programs, 79 percent of those who are uninsured and unemployed are somewhat or not at all aware that such programs exist.

"Unfortunately, many patients don't know that there are patient assistance programs available if they can't afford their prescriptions, and the need is great," said Richard Sagall, MD, co-founder of NeedyMeds. "That's why we are pleased to partner with Merck to help further raise awareness of these programs."

"With an uncertain economy and near double-digit unemployment, more patients are struggling to pay for their medicines than ever before," said Emmanuel Durham, director of Community Healthcare Network - Helen B. Atkinson Health Center, New York, NY. "I have seen firsthand how the Merck Helps programs can keep needed medicines in reach."