AstraZeneca and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health Provide Free Medicines to Pennsylvania's Uninsured
21 November 2009 - 2:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AstraZeneca
(NYSE: AZN) and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health
announced today at a press conference at Philadelphia Health Care
Center #6 that AstraZeneca will provide free medicines to the
city's Health Centers to help uninsured Philadelphians access both
the medical care and medications they need. By participating in the
AZ&Me(TM) Prescription Savings program for healthcare
facilities, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health will be
better equipped to provide medicine to its patients. Eligible
patients will be referred by their physician to receive their
medications at health center pharmacies. "I am glad to see
companies like AstraZeneca stepping up to support important health
needs of Philadelphians. This program will make care at our centers
more comprehensive and helps make the city a healthier place to
live," said Mayor Michael Nutter. "During these tough economic
times for both patients and government agencies, I am delighted to
announce this public-private collaboration between AstraZeneca and
the City of Philadelphia to bring free medications to those most in
need, who use our health centers," said Donald F. Schwarz, MD, MPH,
Health Commissioner, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.
"With the help of companies like AstraZeneca, we can reduce the
barriers that often lead to some patients doing without medicines
that are critical to their health." The Philadelphia Department of
Public Health operates eight health centers located in
neighborhoods throughout the city. It is the mission of the health
centers to provide high quality, comprehensive health care to all
Philadelphians regardless of their insurance status. The services
provided by the health centers include primary and preventive care
for adults and children as well as key public health services. The
Philadelphia Department of Public Health aims to protect and
promote the health of all Philadelphians through the delivery of
services at the health centers. "At AstraZeneca, we want to go
beyond making innovative medicines to making sure that the people
who need these medicines can get them," said Jennifer McGovern,
Director, Patient Assistance Programs, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
LP. "We look forward to partnering with the Philadelphia Department
of Public Health to improve the health of our local community." In
2008, AstraZeneca provided $13.7 million in savings to more than
8,300 patients in Pennsylvania. Nationally, the company helped more
than 440,000 patients save $612 million on their medicines. The
AZ&Me(TM) Prescription Savings program for healthcare
facilities provides medicines free of charge to community free
clinics, community health centers, hospitals and other qualifying
facilities that serve the uninsured. The program is available to
non-profit organizations that have a licensed outpatient pharmacy
or dispensary on site and meet other program criteria. Patients are
eligible for AstraZeneca medicines through this program if they do
not have prescription drug coverage and have a household income at
or below $30,000 for an individual, or $60,000 for a family of
four. "The City's budget crisis has forced us to find creative ways
to maintain services to those in greatest need," said Dr. Thomas P.
Storey, MD, MPH, Director of the City Health Centers. "We are
grateful to AstraZeneca for their prescription savings program
which will provide free medications to low income health center
patients, many of whom have complex health care needs." With this
program, AstraZeneca builds on its more than 30-year history of
helping patients afford the medicines they need. To learn if your
organization qualifies for the AZ&Me(TM) Prescription Savings
program for healthcare facilities, please call 1-866-325-8198.
Program specialists are available Monday through Friday between the
hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM EST. Prescription savings programs are
available regardless of which medications your doctors prescribe.
To find out more about the more than 475 savings programs covering
2,500 medications, please visit http://www.pparx.org/ or call
1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669). About AstraZeneca AstraZeneca is
engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing
of meaningful prescription medicines and in the supply of
healthcare services. AstraZeneca is one of the world's leading
pharmaceutical companies with global healthcare sales of $31.6
billion and is a leader in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular,
neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infectious disease
medicines. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $13.5 billion
dollar healthcare business. For more information about AstraZeneca
in the US or our AZ&Me(TM) Prescription Savings programs,
please visit: http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/ . About the
Philadelphia Department of Health In 1969 the city of Philadelphia
opened its first primary care health center in North Philadelphia,
which provided comprehensive health care services in addition to
the traditional public health services. Since that time 7 other
health centers have been established in neighborhoods throughout
the city. The health centers provide residents access to
comprehensive quality healthcare services, regardless of insurance
status. Annually, the health centers deliver services to close to
90,000 Philadelphians and conduct over 349,000 visits. Over half of
the patients seen are uninsured, however, annually counselors at
the health centers interview approximately 24,000 patients for
insurance coverage and successfully enroll 2,500 patients into a
health insurance plan. The health centers recognize the diversity
of their patient population. Currently, on site interpreters are
available at three health centers and dual hand set phones for
interpretations are available at all eight health centers. A total
of 36 languages are spoken in the health centers. With the
increasing demand for services the health centers continue to
explore ways to improve the quality and delivery of healthcare
services and remain committed to their mission. The health centers
provide services on both an appointment and walk-in basis, however
appointments are preferred. New patients are required to submit
verification of city residency and income. Insurance information,
if applicable should also be submitted. For general information
about available services, or to find out where a Health Care Center
in your area is located, contact: (215) 685-6790, Monday - Friday,
8:30 am - 5 pm. http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/DATASOURCE:
AstraZeneca CONTACT: Media Inquiries: Steve Hahn of AstraZeneca
Pharmaceuticals LP, +1-302-885-4762; or Sara Enes, MSW of
Philadelphia Department of Public Health, +1-215-685-6602
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