Pharmaceutical industry spokesperson responds

Thank you for telling your readers about the Partnership for Prescription Assistance.

Unfortunately the [article by Joel Albers on page 8] “Be Dubious About Drug Companies That Hire Celebrities to Promote ‘Discounts,’” mixes quite a bit of fiction with insufficient facts.

Contrary to the article’s assertions, uninsured Minnesotans may be able to find help through the PPA, which is a single point of access for struggling Americans to information on more than 475 patient assistance programs that offer prescription medicines, both brand and generic, for free or nearly free.

We don’t “allegedly” help struggling Minnesotans. We have helped more than 40,000 residents of the state since the program launched.

What’s more, since April 2005, nearly 5 million Americans have been helped nationwide by the PPA.

Whether patients come aboard the big orange “Help is Here” Express bus, call our toll-free number (1-888-4PPA-NOW) or visit our user-friendly website (www.pparx.org), they’ll find the process is free, fast and easy.

Finally, it is critical that those who rely on medication to live healthy lives are able to get the medicine they need. But we’re concerned that the article prods patients to purchase prescription drugs on the internet.

Make no mistake about it: Online pharmacies operated out of foreign countries offer American patients seemingly good deals. Lurking in their midst, however, are rogue Web sites providing substandard and counterfeit medicines. According to the World Health Organization, medicines purchased over the Internet from sites that conceal their physical address are counterfeit in more than 50 percent of cases.

Ken Johnson, Senior Vice President, Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)—the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America—is the national trade association for most of America’s pharmaceutical research companies and many of the nation’s biotechnology companies.

Joel Albers responds:

The celebrity on the bus campaign is a marketing gimmick to make it appear that drug companies care about peoples’ health, when their primary motive is controlling prices, promotions, patents, and profits. I maintain that uninsured Minnesotans should jump on the bus—the one going to Canada where they can get meds much more inexpensively.

Or go to websites for ordering drugs through the MN Senior Federation at 651-645-0261, www.mnseniors.org (you can be any age) or the state of MN’s Rx Connect (accessing Affordable Prescription Medicine from Canada) at 1-800-333-2433 or at www.MinnesotaRxConnect.com). These sites work with Canadian pharmacies that have been inspected thoroughly. But first, consult a clinical pharmacist(joel@uhcan-mn.org, who can help more than any discount program can to make sure you are taking the safest, most effective, and cost effective medications. As a last resort,you can go to www.needymeds.com (sponsored by a non-profit).