Author: Nikitha Meda

Introduction:

Drug Assistance Program:

If you don’t have insurance or are underinsured and can’t afford your prescription, several pharmaceutical firms, governmental agencies, and organizations operate drug assistance programs (PAPs) that provide free or low-cost drugs.

Patient assistance programs [PAP’s]:

Patient assistance programs (PAPs), which are often supported by pharmaceutical companies, are an important step in lowering total therapy costs for patients. The purpose of these initiatives is to give financial support to patients so that they can obtain medications at low or no cost.

Type of drug assistance program:

Life sciences firms (manufacturer-sponsored), non-profit or charity foundations, or a mix of the two typically fund drug assistance programs. They often fall under the following categories

• Co-pay assistance programs cover all or part of an insured, eligible patient’s out-of-pocket cost for a brand-name drug.
• Patient assistance programs support uninsured and functionally uninsured eligible patients that meet certain requirements with free drug.
• Alternate funding programs support eligible patients with affording their medications, as well as financial assistance for transportation, housing, childcare and more.

Eligibility and Enrolment :

Most pharmaceutical companies voluntarily offer PAPs. It is important for healthcare providers, patients and caregivers to research and understand the eligibility criteria and application process for specific PAPs as they differ considerably from one program to the next.

• Limited or no prescription drug coverage from private
• A demonstrated financial need based on set income and asset limitations

Although there is no standard enrollment process, most PAPs require the health care provider-patient, or both to complete an application form.

The program application may require information of the patient.

Diagnosis and medical need which would need to be documented by the treating physician, nurse, or patient advocate.

Health and drug insurance coverage to demonstrate that the patient lacks prescription medication coverage and/or is ineligible for private or public health insurance.

Individual or household income

Patients normally cannot apply for PAPs without the involvement of their care team, as healthcare practitioners must complete a portion of the application. According to a 2018 research, clinicians don’t always know which patients are best suited for specific PAPs due to a lack of clear information on eligibility and advantages.

Pfizer Patient Assistance Program :

Have a valid prescription for the Pfizer medicine, available in the PAP, for which they are seeking assistance.

Have an FDA-approved indication for the requested product(s).

Be uninsured or government-insured and unable to afford their copayment. Commercially insured patients are not eligible.

Meet income guidelines, which vary by medicine, but start at 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, adjusted for family size.

Reside in the U.S. or a U.S. territory.

Be treated by a healthcare provider licensed in the U.S. or a U.S. territory.

Patients and their healthcare providers must submit a completed enrollment form to be considered for help. Patients must also submit proof of income, such as a W2 form, a paycheck stub, or a tax return from the previous year. Patients prescribed specific Pfizer drugs may be asked to seek alternative types of assistance before being approved for free medicine through the Pfizer Patient Assistance Program in some situations.

Patient Responsibilities:

• Respect the rights and treat all healthcare workers and other patients and visitors with dignity.
• Comply with all hospital policies and guidelines as informed or displayed be available for any appointments made or notify the hospital as early as possible if you are unable to do so.
• Acknowledge that some other patient’s medical condition may be more urgent than yours and accept that your doctor may need to attend them first. Kindly cooperate in such situations.
• Take responsibility for your hospital bill.
• Provide us with comprehensive and accurate details about your past medical records and be compliant as regard to taking medication or following any other prescribed treatment.
• Follow the prescribed and agreed treatment plan and carefully comply with the instructions given.
• Accept responsibility for decisions you make regarding the treatment.
• Do not take medication independent of medical advice.
• Do not ask us to provide incorrect information, receipts, or certificates.
• Do not waste medical resources and time unnecessarily.
• Accept, where applicable, adaptations to the environment to ensure a safe and secure stay in hospital with a full explanation from our staff.
• Accept the measures taken by the hospital to ensure personal privacy and confidentiality of medical records.
• Provide correct information regarding identity and financial status.
• Strictly follow the hospital’s Visitors Policy.
• To protect the environment.
• To utilize the health care system appropriately and do not abuse it.

The patient’s responsibility extends beyond resolving their own problems, albeit they may be unaware of this. They, too, play a part in pharmacovigilance, either directly or indirectly. Spontaneous reporting of suspected adverse medication reactions and prescription event tracking for new pharmaceuticals are the two major strategies for finding new reactions. Both techniques need patients reporting their problems, either to healthcare practitioners or to the appropriate regulatory authorities. The low degree of reporting by healthcare personnel is well documented [22], and people are increasingly being permitted and encouraged to directly report potential adverse medication reactions.

Methods:

Between 1980 and 2013, a search of numerous databases (Pubmed®, EMBASE®, EBSCO, and Medline) was conducted. The phrases “Drug Safety,” “Medication Safety,” “Patient Safety,” “Drug Interaction,” “Drug Pharmacokinetic,” and “Adverse Drug Reaction” were used in the search. All abstracts collected were reviewed in the context of the review objectives, and only research in English were included in this review. This evaluation comprised the entire texts of the articles that were chosen.

Drug safety:

Certain antibiotics, for example, may not produce major side effects; however, other medications, such as certain cancer therapies, anti-diabetic medications, medications to reduce increased blood lipids, and many others, may. Nonetheless, major adverse reactions to commonly used and well-known drugs can occur. Many people assume that paracetamol, which is offered under the brand names Panadol®, Fevadol®, Tylenol®, and others, is extremely safe and has no major adverse effects. However, at large dosages, this medicine can have hazardous adverse effects, particularly those affecting the liver. What makes matters worse is that the medicine is present in many cold and flu treatment combinations, and the patient may be ignorant of this and take extra doses, resulting in overdosing.

Pregnant and lactating women:

During the administration of any drug, each phase of pregnancy, which lasts nine months, is regarded significant and critical. Pregnancy is split into three trimesters: the first (first three months), the second (second three months), and the third (third three months) (the last three months of pregnancy). As previously stated, all of these trimesters are critical; therefore, a pregnant woman should not take any medication without first consulting a specialist about the medication’s safety, as it may affect the formation of the fetus, as was the case with the use of thalidomide, as previously mentioned.

The danger of drug effects is not confined to taking medications during pregnancy: adverse effects on the baby might occur even if a medication is used just before conception. For example, the acne treatment medicine isotretinoin (Roaccutane®) is regarded one of the most harmful drugs during pregnancy since it has teratogenic effects on the fetus and is thus prohibited during pregnancy. These cautions should not just be applied to chemically manufactured pharmaceuticals, but also to any natural remedies or anything that is taken or utilized as a medicine.

Children:

Aspirin, or “acetylsalicylic acid”, which is frequently used as an analgesic and antipyretic, is one of the medications that are safely used in adult groups but contraindicated in children since it might lead to a serious side impact known as “Reye’s Syndrome”. Thus, paracetamol and ibuprofen at the right adjusted amount and depending on weight would be a safer choice to administer to youngsters

Conclusion:

The key feature of medical therapy that can play a significant impact in determining which medicine should be administered to a patient is drug safety. Furthermore, taking into account the idea of benefit-risk balance, we discovered that medications with a high-risk profile should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Drug safety has evolved over the previous century, and there have been countless disasters that we should learn from in order to safeguard our patients. All patients should be safeguarded; but, some groups of patients, such as pregnant women, children, and the elderly, should be given greater attention since they are considered vulnerable populations. Drugs can react with other drugs or foods that are commonly used, and special measures must be taken to avoid this. Interactions that are easy yet harmful. However, pharmaceutical risks can be reduced by educating patients about drug safety and being upfront with them, enabling them to ask questions about their ailments or prescriptions. One of the most significant predictors of medication safety is a positive relationship between the medical staff and the patient.

References:

1. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi9kO_WiLf8AhWoxTgGHdSWA3QQFnoECA8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpmc%2Farticles%2FPMC4908051%2F&usg=AOvVaw2zTop0pqCOjZSwnnOWGcA2
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4908051/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4908051/
4. https://www.goodrx.com/healthcare-access/patient-advocacy/what-are-patient-assistance-programs
5. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/754756
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2723203/