Reforming patient assistance programs: perfect world meets real world

Drug company-sponsored pharmacy assistance programs (PAPs) are an imperfect solution to a wide-ranging access problem. These programs help millions of people with chronic conditions get life-saving medications. Spending funds to tinker with these programs would distract from the systemic problems facing the health care system and risk placing a higher bureaucratic burden on providers and patients. The net effect would be reduced access to prescription drugs for many who rely on PAPs for their medications. Solutions should be sought to tackle fundamental problems facing an overburdened health care system. These solutions must involve a reexamination of priorities, not of functioning programs.