Beyond pharmaceutical manufacturer assistance: broadening the scope of an indigent drug program

A medication assistance program at a university medical center is described. The program was implemented in July 1999 by the ambulatory care pharmacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center (UICMC). A full-time pharmacist and a full-time social worker run the program, along with support from technicians and a student extern. The program functions like a clinic, with both scheduled appointments and drop-ins. Patients are referred by UICMC providers or may self-refer. Sources of assistance include Medicaid, Medicare Part B, several state programs, manufacturers' programs, drug samples, private insurance plans and HMOs, and the patients themselves in the form of small payments. Patients receive medications at UICMC's expense only as a last resort. The medication assistance program helped 231 patients in the six months from July to December 1999. Program costs totaled $110,537, but $237,985 was saved. Only 13% of the savings came from pharmaceutical companies; 63% came from Medicaid. Experience with the program suggests that medication assistance initiatives should be structured to tap the full spectrum of resources for indigent patients, that programs be staffed by personnel with relevant experience, that program staff be prepared to work closely with patients and to follow up, and that the institution's charitable goods and services be restricted to patients for whom there are no other resources. A highly proactive medication assistance program at a university medical center improves the access of indigent patients to medications and is cost-effective.