Check out Partnership for Prescription Assistance and other drug discount and distribution programs.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance brings together America's pharmaceutical companies, health care providers, nurses, pharmacists, patient advocacy organizations and civic groups to help low-income patients without prescription coverage pay for their medicines. The Partnership's mission is to increase awareness of and enrollment in existing patient assistance programs for those who may be eligible. Through its Web site (www.pparx.org) and a toll-free call center (1-888-4PPA-NOW or 1-888-477-2669), the Partnership for Prescription Assistance offers a single point of access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies.

Many major pharmaceutical companies have established programs to help uninsured or low-income patients obtain the medications they need. Among them are:

Pfizer has created a number of medicine distribution programs and initiatives.
—Sharing the Care: Pfizer medications are donated to low-income, uninsured patients through 380 federally qualified health centers.
—Connection to Care: By working with physicians on a case-by-case basis, patients receive the medications they need.

For more information about Pfizer's programs visit this Web site: www.pfizer.com/pfizer/subsites/philanthropy/access.

Eli Lilly & Company also has several medicine distribution programs for the uninsured, such as Lilly Cares, which provides free medications, through physicians, to qualified patients.

For more information about Lilly's programs visit: www.lilly.com/products/access/direct_patient.html.