The road to diagnosis is difficult enough. Understanding if your medication has coverage by federal, provincial or territorial public drug plans should be easier. In Canadian Skin Patient Alliance's (CSPA) 15 years, they have seen the difficulties that people have faced getting a diagnosis, exploring available treatment options to find one that works for them, and affording the (often many) treatments that they are prescribed. Improving affordable and timely access to effective medications is a cornerstone of CSPA’s education and advocacy initiatives.

In response, CSPA has introduced a new digital tool, “Is My Prescription Covered?” This free and interactive drug coverage finder allows everyone in Canada the opportunity to answer a series of Yes and No questions to find out whether the medication that has been prescribed to them is covered.

Although the CSPA is an organization for people affected by skin conditions, the drug coverage finder was designed so that anyone in Canada with any health condition can check to see if they’re eligible for coverage.

Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc., the US subsidiary of the Swiss pharmaceutical group focused on building quality cancer care products, announcesd a change to the financial assistance program for VALCHLOR® (mechlorethamine) gel 0.016% to ensure that commercially insured patients have access to treatment during the COVID-19 crisis. Eligible patients’ prescription copays will be waived in full until at least June 30, 2020. Helsinn will continue to monitor the crisis and reassess the June 30th end date if necessary.

In addition, Helsinn will ensure VALCHLOR remains available to all patients through direct shipping via a dedicated specialty pharmacy. By providing delivery direct to patients, Helsinn is helping ensure patients are able to receive treatment from the comfort and safety of their home. The VALCHLOR copay program is only available for US and Puerto Rico residents who are 18 or older and have commercial health insurance.

Please contact your healthcare professional for more details on how to apply for the financial assistance program.

Spectrum Therapy Access Resources (STAR®) is a reimbursement support, co-pay assistance, and patient assistance program designed to help patients and healthcare professionals in the United States gain appropriate access to Spectrum products. For more information visit their website or call 888-537-8277.

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), manufacturer of ISTODAX®, a drug used to treat cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and peripheral T-cell lymphoma, offers extensive patient support services through the Bristol Myers Squibb Access Support® program. This program provides a dedicated, central point of contact for patients and healthcare professionals who use BMS products. The Bristol Myers Squibb Access Support® program is a free service that helps patients and healthcare professionals navigate the challenges of reimbursement, providing information about co-pay assistance, and answering questions about obtaining BMS products. For assistance, call Bristol Myers Squibb Access Support® at 800.931.8691 or visit their website.

Sometimes, affording prescription medicines can be difficult. That’s why Merck has created the Patient Assistance Program—to keep affordable medicines within your reach. This private and confidential program provides medicine free of charge to eligible individuals, primarily the uninsured who, without our assistance, could not afford needed Merck medicines. Individuals who don’t meet the insurance criteria may still qualify for the Merck Patient Assistance Program if they attest that they have special circumstances of financial and medical hardship, and their income meets the program criteria. A single application may provide for up to one year of medicine free of charge to eligible individuals and an individual may reapply as many times as needed. For more information, visit their website or contact 800.727.5400.

Ortho Dermatologics has a Targretin® Patient Care Program. This program assists with the complex financial coordination Targretin Capsules or Targretin Gel can require and provides patient follow-up to encourage therapy adherence. With the rebate program, eligible commercially insured patients’ co-pays are no more than $20. For more information, including program qualifications, visit their website or call 833-862-8727, 8 AM to 5 PM ET.

The HealthWell Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to addressing the needs of individuals with insurance who cannot afford their copayments, coinsurance, and premiums for important medical treatments. Their vision is to ensure that no patient goes without health care because they cannot afford it. For more information, contact 800.675.8416 or visit their website.

The Medicine Program is a patient advocate organization with a goal of assisting you and your family find, apply and qualify for the right patient assistance program(s) offered by pharmaceutical companies. By working closely with you, your doctor and the drug manufacturer, the Medicine Program helps cut through the red tape and assists you in receiving your medicine free of charge.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance is a website hosted by pharmaceutical companies, physicians and patient advocacy groups that offers access to public and private patient assistance programs including more than 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. For more information, visit their website or contact 888.477.2669.

Some free or reduced-cost drugs are available through the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). Representing research-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, PhRMA provides a Patient Assistance Directory on their web site, which is searchable by drug name or company.

RxOutreach has a number of very common generic drugs available at a low cost. Visit their website for a list of the drugs, application forms and other information about the program. For more information, contact 800.769.3880 or visit their website.

The Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation has launched FundFinder, a web-based app designed to help you quickly find available financial assistance for chronic, rare and life-threatening illnesses. We often hear that the search for financial assistance is time consuming. Over the last year, PAN developed FundFinder to reduce the time it takes to monitor the status of disease funds across charitable patient assistance foundations.

When you use FundFinder, you can sign up for instant email or text message notifications to learn when financial assistance becomes available for a specific disease at eight charitable patient assistance foundations—eliminating the need to manually monitor their websites.