Government of Puerto Rico and Together Rx Access Join Forces to Improve Prescription Access for Uninsured Residents

The Government of Puerto Rico and Together Rx Access announced today the launch of the Together Rx Access(R) PARA PUERTO RICO Card to help thousands of eligible uninsured Puerto Ricans access immediate and meaningful savings on prescription medicines and products right at the pharmacy counter. Most Together Rx Access cardholders save 25 to 40 percent(1) on hundreds of brand-name prescription products. Savings are also available on thousands of generics. The Together Rx Access PARA PUERTO RICO Card is free to get and free to use.

The collaboration will utilize existing communications channels within the Government to identify uninsured residents who may benefit from the prescription savings program. These outreach efforts will cost nothing to the Government while having the potential to help many residents stay healthy and manage chronic conditions, which can be more difficult in a challenging economy.

“The Together Rx Access PARA PUERTO RICO Card is a valuable and much needed resource that can help uninsured Puerto Ricans take better care of their health, especially those individuals suffering from chronic diseases who may need prescription medicines to manage these conditions,” said Governor Luis Fortuno. “We are pleased to be able to offer Puerto Ricans another option for meeting their healthcare needs.”

Chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are the leading causes of death and illness in Latin America and the Caribbean.(2) In Puerto Rico, cardiovascular diseases including heart disease, hypertension and high cholesterol are responsible for more than 30 percent of all deaths.(3) In addition, more than 20 percent of Puerto Ricans suffer from chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma.(4)

“This collaboration with Puerto Rico will help open the door to improved prescription access for many more uninsured residents, and we are grateful for the support of Governor Fortuno,” said Roba Whiteley, Executive Director of Together Rx Access. “Together Rx Access was created as a philanthropic initiative to help the uninsured, and our pharmaceutical member companies remain committed to finding new ways of reaching those who may benefit the most from the prescription savings. In fact, Together Rx Access is the only multi-manufacturer program offering its cardholders immediate access to savings on hundreds of brand-name prescription medicines, as well as thousands of generics.”

The income levels for which individuals are eligible for a Together Rx Access PARA PUERTO RICO Card range from $45,000 for a single person to $90,000 for a family of four. In addition, individuals must be legal residents of Puerto Rico or the United States, and have no public or private prescription coverage or qualify for Medicare.

“In the economic environment of today some prescription drugs can be inaccessible to the uninsured,” said Pedro Pierluisi, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. “It is my hope that by expanding this Program, it will result in better access to adequate medical treatment throughout Puerto Rico.”

“This is an excellent opportunity to bring additional awareness of a free program that is available to the majority of Puerto Ricans, who may otherwise not be able to afford their prescription medicines,” said Kenneth D. McClintock, Secretary of State. “It is important for community leaders and healthcare professionals to discuss Together Rx Access, and other assistance programs, with those they serve.”

Together Rx Access offers potential cardholders a simple enrollment process. Individuals have the option of enrolling online at TogetherRxAccess.com, calling a toll-free number 1-877-789-2346, or completing a short paper application and returning it by mail. All enrollment materials, including the Together Rx Access website, are available in English and Spanish.

About Together Rx Access
The Together Rx Access Card was created by many of the nation’s leading pharmaceutical companies to help hardworking Americans and their families gain access to immediate and meaningful savings on prescription products right at their neighborhood pharmacy. Most cardholders save 25 to 40 percent(5) on brand-name prescription products. More than 300 brand-name prescription products are included in the Program.(6) Savings are also available on a wide range of generics. Medicines in the Program include those used to treat high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, asthma, and many other common conditions. The Together Rx Access Card is free to get and free to use.

Together Rx Access also directs individuals to the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA), a clearinghouse for more than 475 public and private assistance programs, including nearly 200 offered by pharmaceutical companies. Those who are eligible for the Together Rx Access Card may qualify for additional savings on prescription medicines, or even free medicines, through other patient assistance programs in the PPA. The PPA also connects people to free health clinics in their communities.

The companies participating in the Together Rx Access Program include Abbott Laboratories; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; GlaxoSmithKline; Janssen, L.P.; King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; LifeScan, Inc.; McNeil Pediatrics, a Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc.; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Ortho Biotech Products, L.P.; Ortho Dermatologics, a Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Ortho-McNeil, Inc.; Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc.; Ortho Women’s Health & Urology, a Division of Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.; Pfizer Inc; PriCara, a Unit of Ortho-McNeil, Inc.; Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.; Tibotec Therapeutics, a Division of Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, L.P.; and Vistakon Pharmaceuticals, LLC.

For more information about the Together Rx Access Card, contact Together Rx Access at 1-877-789-2346, or visit TogetherRxAccess.com. Information is also available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Together-Rx-Access/56025368931.

(1) Each cardholder’s savings depend on such factors as the particular drug purchased, amount purchased, and the pharmacy where purchased. Participating companies independently set the level of savings offered and the products included in the Program. Those decisions are subject to change.

(2) Pan American Health Organization Press Release: PAHO Rallies New Partners for Chronic Disease Prevention. http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=972&Itemid=259. Accessed August 11, 2009.

(3) PAHO Country Health Profile Data 2001. http://www.paho.org/english/sha/prflpur.htm. Accessed August 11, 2009.

(4) PAHO Country Health Profile Data 2001. http://www.paho.org/english/sha/prflpur.htm. Accessed August 11, 2009.

(5) Each cardholder’s savings depend on such factors as the particular drug purchased, amount purchased, and the pharmacy where purchased. Participating companies independently set the level of savings offered and the products included in the Program. Those decisions are subject to change.

(6) Visit TogetherRxAccess.com for the most current list of brand-name medicines and products.

Together Rx Access and the Together Rx Access logo are trademarks of Together Rx Access, LLC. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

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