Listener Request: Don't Stop Free Drug Programs

Eleanor Kahn is a nurse practitioner at a psychiatric practice in North Conway.

She treats many patients with low incomes who receive free drugs from pharmaceutical companies.

Her patients that are now eligible for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit are receiving letters from drugs companies saying their drug assistance will expire in May.

Many of them don’t qualify for any other state or federal help.

Kahn: I think what it’s like for them is their anxiety is increased. They’re very worried about what the future is going to hold. If they haven’t signed up, we’re actually telling them not to sign up yet. We’re waiting to see if any solutions will emerge.

Some solutions Kahn would like to see are the continuation of the drug assistance programs and perhaps an additional safety net run by the state.

She’d also like more awareness about her patients’ situation from the higher ups.

Kahn: I think that the federal Representatives—our Congressmen and Senators—should really have to face some of these patients face to face and hear the impact.

Congressman Jeb Bradley—whose district includes North Conway—said he is well aware of the situation.

Bradley says the reason many companies are discontinuing their programs is for legal complications.

He’s working with others in Congress to draft legislation that would allay drug companies’ concerns.

Bradley: We hope that we can remove the impediments so that pharmaceutical companies can continue to offer this and at the same time it has been a good initiative for people that need that assistance so hopefully we are going to be successful in that.

But the federal Health and Human Services Department says drug companies don’t need new legislation to avoid legal issues.

Its position is that there is no reason for companies to stop offering free drugs.

But they can at any moment.

Their participation in patient assistance programs is voluntary.

For NHPR News this is Kerry Grens.

You can find the full text of Eleanor Kahn’s comments and add some of your own on our website, NHPR dot ORG.