Program aims to help poor pay for medicines

BOISE – Drug industry groups, aiming to deflect criticism over the high cost of prescription medicine, have joined Idaho health care organizations in a program to make it easier for people without insurance to get medications.

Rx Idaho: A Partnership for Prescription Assistance, held a news conference Tuesday in Boise.

The partnership, part of a national program, combines drugmakers, health care providers, patient advocates and community leaders to help Idaho residents find public or private assistance programs to get drugs.

Drug manufacturers, under fire from consumer advocates for opposing legislation to slash prescription costs, have said they’d spend about $30 million nationwide through June to push this program for poor Americans to gain access to medicine.

Throughout the country, hundreds of public and private programs already provide some assistance to consumers who can’t afford their prescriptions. Finding out about the programs and accessing them can be difficult, even for doctors.

Through a Web site, www.rxidaho.org, this clearinghouse provides access to more than 275 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 150 programs offered by drug companies. Patients can also call (888) 477-2669.