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Drug assistance programs and patient responsibilities on drugs

Author:

K.Srivani, K. Sravani, K. Vaishnavi
B. Pharmacy  2nd year, St. Paul’s College Of Pharmacy,
Under the Guidance of Mrs. D.Shital,
Dept. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Lets together know about drug assistance  programs and patient responsibilities on drugs

Abstract

1. The heading of the article is saying about two topics related to the drugs
2. In this topic we have to discuss about drug assistance program which gives a piece of information about medications and affording medications with low cost and cost-sharing
3. The responsibilities of patients on drugs is to check the labelling , expiry date , dosage form of drugs.
4. Patients have at least  knowledge about the medications which they are using .

“Recovery is about refinement not perfection”

Introduction

Let’s get into our topic

Nowadays,

 Prescription drug costs are higher than ever, leaving many patients with few options for affordable medications or nothing but drugs

• Enter drug assistance programs, also called patient access programs or drug access programs or prescription assistance program
• Whatever the name, they all serve the same function: to help patients by giving them affordable medications they otherwise couldn’t.
• These assistance programs come in many ways and scopes, each one is different from the next.
• Some are run by pharmaceutical companies to serve patients receiving specific medications.

Now we will see some introduction about the responsibilities on drugs

Patient Responsibilities

• A patient has the control to provide, to the best of his/her knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, drugs and other matters relating to his/her health.
• DAPs may cover the full cost of medications or provide a discount.
• The DAPs help people with no health insurance and those who are un insured afford medications
• He/she has the responsibility to report unexpected changes in his/her health condition to the responsible practitioner.
• Drugs are more toxic in nature because they were prepared by extraction of plants, animals, etc…
• While using the drugs or medications we should be careful and read the labelling of the medicine
• While reading the label of the medicine we can get to know the cautions and information of the drug
• Reading the label of drug is most important
• The patient has to be taken care of themselves
• Patients has to be take the medications on time without delay
• Patient has knowledge about the medications which he/she is using at least the names of drugs and uses in short to remember
• If well studied people are there with  Patients  they should have the knowledge of drugs then only the person can read the prescription written by the doctor
• Some of the drugs have adverse effects which affects health and can cause to death in some cases
• We can know more information further in effects of drugs

Keywords

• Drug assistance program
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Typical drug pricing
• Affordable medications
• Contiguous united states
• Prescription drugs
• Cancer diagnosis
• Cost sharing
• Medical expenses
• Copayments
• Coinsurance
• Drugs
• hallucinogens
• hypnotics

PATIENT CARE

For any expensive drug or disease you can think of, an assistance program exists because it helps for affordable medications.

But getting assistance isn’t at all an easy task.  Implementing patient cost sharing in the form of copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles is one of the most reliable methods for reducing health care costs. But imposing cost-sharing reduces patients’ demand for medical care, which sets the interests of insurers at odds with the interests of healthcare providers and drug and device manufacturers, who generally benefit when patients use more services.

Responsibilities of patients on drugs

• A patient has a lot of rights and responsibilities when undergoing treatment. He/she is encouraged to ask questions and participate in the treatment process. It is not recommended that a patient keep quiet when not satisfied with the care given. Patients are supposed to be active and informed.
• A patient has various responsibilities during his/her treatment. A patient is supposed to provide clinical information to healthcare specialists. The clinical information includes past and present medication, illness and hospitalization (Wilson, 1998). It is the responsibility of a patient to question nurses or doctors of any treatment that he/she does not understand.
• Be responsible for their own health. Maximise healthy habits such as exercising, not smoking, and eating a healthy diet. Prevent the spread of their disease. Work with healthcare providers to make healthcare decisions and carry out treatment plans.

Effects of drugs on patients

The way a drug affects you depends on:

• the drug itself
  • what type of drug it is
  • how you took it
  • how much you took
  • how strong or pure it is
  • how often you take it
  • Each drug causes different physical reactions, depending on the type of drug. Some will make you feel more awake, alert and energetic. Others will give you a calm, relaxed feeling. Some alter your perceptions and can cause hallucinations. Others may make you feel numb.

Taking different drugs may cause:

• Changes in coordination
• Blood pressure and heart rate changes
• Feelings of being more awake or sleepy
• Improved sociability
• Pain relief
• Changes in the appearance of a person’s body

Drug Treatment Programs

Types of Drug Treatment Programs

• When excessive drug use causes health, work, home, and school problems, it’s referred to as a substance use disorder (SUD).
• nxThese are the primary substances that can lead to substance-related disorders:1
• Alcohol
• Opioids
• Cannabis
• Cocaine and other stimulants
• LSD and other hallucinogens
• Sedatives, hypnotics, or anxiolytics
• Inhalants
• Receive relevant, accurate, current and understandable information from your pharmacist concerning your treatment and/or drug therapy.
• Receive complete and accurate information from your pharmacist regarding the reason for your treatment and/or drug therapy, the proper use and storage of prescribed medications and the possible adverse side effects and interactions with other drugs, supplements or foods.

• Drug assistance program it is a medicare program.
• For example,Aids drugs assistance program
• The AIDS assistant program has been started as a part of the national program to provide free drugs for AIDS at low cost.
• The other example,  a drug assistance program that provides drugs for diabetic patients monthly.

Storage and maintenance of drugs

• The drugs are stored in containers such as boxes and on flexible rocks and shelves etc .
• The drugs which are stored remain preserved during their storage .
• The drugs which are stored in a drug store are arranged in such a manner that they are easily traceable as and when they are required.

Drug storage

• Proper drug storage
• Storage environment
• Arrangement of drug on shelves
• The store room
• The dispensary

Temperature should be maintained to store drugs

In a deep freeze =  (-15°C)

In a refrigerator = 2°C-8°C

Cold or cool  = 8°C-15°C

Room temperature = 15°C-25°C

How do the patient assistance programs work?

If you don’t  have any  insurance they can’t afford medications,

These programs often help and offer free or low-cost options. The benefits you receive vary widely from program to program and programs often have different requirements.

Some examples of these programs

Here is a list of some of the largest patient assistance programs;

• Gliead advancing access program.
• GSK patient assistance programs.
• Novo patient assistance programs.
• Novartis patient assistance foundation.

• Drug assistance programs criticized

While these programs can provide many benefits, they are difficult to access and understand.

Patients typically can’t apply for PAPs without the help of their care team, because healthcare providers need to fill out part of the application.

Drug assistance programs are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and government agents.

Types of drug assistance programs

There are many types of drug assistance programs now.

We will see some of them below.

Usually these fall on three categories

1. Copay assistance programs
2. Patient assistance programs
3. Alternate funding programs

1. Copay assistance programs;

It is a program which covers all parts of an insured, eligible patient out of pocket for a brand-name drug.

It is a form of cost-sharing. It is a fixed amount for covered services, paid by a patient to the provider.

2. Patient assistance programs

It can be written as PAPs

It supports uninsured and functionally uninsured eligible patients that meet certain requirements with free drugs.

3. Alternate funding programs

This traditional way of alternative funding basically consists of doing everything you can to acquire funding. While all of the options listed above are still viable, you will likely find yourself doing some sort of bootstrapping to prepare your business financially.

Conclusion:

Drug assistance programs are very useful for patients to get medications at affordable cost and without any health insurance or medical insurance they will provide medication for the patient.

By this program the patients get their medicines for low or free of cost but application is some difficult for illiterate people

Patients’ responsibilities on drugs.

Patients should take care of their medications. by which time a drug has to be taken and the way of administration of the drug.

“While administration of drug check the label of the drug twice”

“Drugs are the nature’s gift, while some drugs are toxic in nature”

It’s our responsibility to take the medicines and cure ourselves”

Reference:

Choudary, N.K.ct al. [2009] drug company sponsored patient assistance programs

Niteesh k.choudhary, joy l.ee and William H . Shrank