Hospitals in Aroostook County are collaborating with each other and others
to bring affordable prescription drugs to the County.
The members of the collaborative are: The Aroostook Medical Center, Cary
Medical Center; EMHS; Houlton Regional Hospital; Northern Maine Medical Center;
provider medical offices; Aroostook County Action Program; the comprehensive
community health coalitions in Aroostook (Power of Prevention and Aroostook
Healthy Maine Partnership); Pines Health Services; the Pharmaceutical Research
and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA); and 2-1-1 Maine, a program supported
by the United Ways of Maine; Ingraham; and the State of Maine. The goal of
this collaborative is to work together to increase Aroostook County residents'
access to important prescription drugs.
The recently released Community Health Needs Assessment, commissioned by EMHS
and funded by Healthcare Charities, disclosed that Aroostook residents are
greatly in need of assistance affording their prescriptions. This pilot program,
funded by a grant from America's pharmaceutical research companies - will
make it easier to get connected to various prescription assistance resources.
Several of the participating hospitals have patient assistant counselors trained
to help patients access prescription assistance programs, and a number of
Aroostook County pharmacies are offering four-dollar refills on selected generic
drugs. In addition 2-1-1, Maine's health and human service information and
referral line, can link callers directly to the Partnership for Prescription
Assistance (PPA), a program supported by pharmaceutical research companies
that helps uninsured and underinsured Americans get access to the medicines
they need for free or nearly free.
Currently this pilot program is available only to residents of Aroostook County.
Claudia Stevens, at United Way Aroostook in Presque Isle, says the prescription drug assistance should be of great comfort to county residents, "There are a lot of people who can use this help but are unsure of where to even start looking. This program is good because it combines the ease of calling 2-1-1 for general information with where to find low or no cost prescription help it's just that easy. "
"The PPA has had great success reaching the people of Maine," said PhRMA senior vice president Ken Johnson. "There are still many more people who need help, but don't know where to go to find it. Thanks to our partnership with EMHS, we hope to make it even easier for patients to get the medicines they need to live longer, healthier and more productive lives."
"Some real challenges face the rural population of Aroostook County, such as high levels of chronic disease and a lack of insurance," said Jerry Whalen, vice president of EMHS. "It is clear that increased access to low cost - or even free - prescription drug programs will help those in need in Aroostook County. The goal of this pilot program with PhRMA is to provide ease of access."
The prescription pilot project for Aroostook County also has the endorsement of the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association. Both groups support this project since patients who follow their doctor's orders, such as taking medications as prescribed, have better outcomes when it comes to managing cardiovascular diseases and cancer - the two leading causes of death in Maine. A common barrier to complying with doctor's orders is the inability to afford medications and believe this collaborative effort will help improve the lives of people throughout Aroostook County.
Since its launch in April 2005, the PPA has helped nearly 5 million Americans,
including more than 20,000 in Maine. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers
of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research
and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that
allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives.