Abbott Joins National Program to Help Millions of Uninsured ... - Apr. 5, 2005

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Here it is Judi:

Abbott Joins National Program to Help Millions of Uninsured Americans

Get the Prescription Medicines They Need

April 5, 2005: 7:00 a.m. EST

ABBOTT PARK, Ill. (PRNewswire) - ABBOTT PARK, Ill., April 5

/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Abbott today announced its participation in

the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, the largest-ever

private-sector program to help patients who lack prescription drug

coverage get access to the medicines they need, joining a national

coalition of pharmaceutical companies, doctors, nurses, pharmacists,

other health care providers, patient advocates and community leaders.

" Abbott has always been committed to helping patients gain access to

the medicines they need, both through our own company-sponsored patient

assistance programs and through programs provided in partnership with

other pharmaceutical companies, " said Miles D. White, chairman and

chief executive officer, Abbott, and immediate past chairman of the

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). " Now the

Partnership for Prescription Assistance brings together industry and

the health care and patient advocacy communities to give patients

unprecedented access to our medications. "

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance offers a single point of

access to more than 275 public and private patient assistance programs,

including more then 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies.

Patients will also receive information on government programs for which

they may qualify, such as Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children's

Health Insurance Programs. As the only resource that brings together

nearly all existing patient assistance programs, the Partnership for

Prescription Assistance provides a central navigation system that helps

patients get access to needed medicines.

" During the past year, Abbott, PhRMA member companies and our partners

across the spectrum of health care have been working hard to address

the issue of access to medications, " said White. " For example, Rx for

Illinois, one of the pilot access programs, was highly successful.

Nearly half-a-million people inquired about the program and more than

50 percent qualified for discounted or free medicines. The Partnership

for Prescription Assistance will give us an opportunity to assist

millions of patients in Illinois and across the country. "

Over the next few months, Rx for Illinois as well as other pilot

programs will be folded into the Partnership for Prescription

Assistance. Right now, patients can contact either the Partnership for

Prescription Assistance or Rx for Illinois by phone (1-877-793-6745) or

by visiting http://www.rxforillinois.org/ .

To find out if they may qualify for one or more programs, patients can

visit the user-friendly Web site or call toll-free to speak with a

trained specialist who can provide application assistance in English,

Spanish and approximately 150 other languages.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance is launching a substantial

awareness-raising initiative aimed at encouraging as many eligible

patients as possible to apply for public and private patient assistance

programs.

Advertising starts today on network and cable television and in

national newspapers. The ads encourage people who don't have

prescription drug coverage and need help paying for their medicines to

call toll-free at 1-888- 4PPA-NOW or visit http://www.pparx.org/ to

find out if they may be eligible for assistance. The Partnership for

Prescription Assistance is also working with local community leaders in

all 50 states to encourage patients to enroll.

More than 50 national organizations including the American Academy of

Family Physicians, American Academy of Physician Assistants, American

College of Emergency Physicians, the NAACP, National Alliance for

Hispanic Health, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, National

Association of Chain Drug Stores, National Medical Association,

National Urban League, and United Way of America, as well as hundreds

of state and local organizations, are working with America's

pharmaceutical companies to spread the word about the program.

Patients who need help paying for their prescription medicines should

call toll-free at 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) or visit

http://www.pparx.org/ .

Abbott's Commitment to Access

Abbott is committed to improving access for patients -- access to

critical medications, testing and quality health care. Abbott's

initiatives span the globe, from patient assistance programs in the

United States, to large-scale donations of HIV tests to help stop the

spread of HIV, to partnerships designed to improve health care

infrastructure in developing nations. In 2004, nearly 360,000 people

received free or discounted drugs through Abbott's own patient

assistance programs in the United States, valued at nearly $242

million.

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the

discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals

and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics.

Abbott employs more than 60,000 people and markets its products in more

than 130 countries.

Abbott's news release and other information are available on the

company's Web site at http://www.abbott.com/ .

http://money.cnn.com/services/tickerheadlines/prn/

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