Utilization of Pharmaceutical Patient and Prescription Assistance Programs via a Pharmacy Department Patient Assistance Program for Indigent Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background With the advances in cancer treatments, mortality rates in the United States have been consistently falling but they are accompanied by substantial increases in the cost of cancer care. Patient and prescription assistance programs (PPAPs) are offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide free medications to medically indigent patients. To assist the Cancer Care Center (CCC) at Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) with drug costs for chemotherapies, the pharmacy department uses a patient assistance program (PAP) to obtain medications from the drug companies at no cost. Purpose This study evaluates the impact of the PAP at a public hospital from which indigent cancer patients obtain assistance for chemotherapy. Methods We followed all patients requiring assistance with chemotherapy who enrolled in the PAP from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2012. Medications included both oral and parenteral chemotherapy drugs and antiemetics used in the outpatient clinic setting. Results The program served 347 patients in 2011 and 579 patients in 2012. The total number of visits in the clinic over 24 months was 9,405. The total cost savings of the medications was $1,066,000 in 2011 and $1,715,538 in 2012. Conclusions A pharmacy-based PAP to procure free medications from PPAPs for cancer patients has helped to defray the expense of providing care at NUMC, increased patients' compliance with chemo protocols, and allowed many patients to receive the treatment they otherwise would not be able to afford. The combination of PPAPs and PAP provides a safety net to ensure that indigent cancer patients receive needed prescription medications in the outpatient clinic setting.