Prescription drug program helps

To the editor:
    Last spring marked the beginning of a new program for Aroostook County residents in need of free or low cost prescription drugs. Since that time, hundreds of people have received assistance through this county-wide collaborative that includes the Aroostook Medical Center; Cary Medical Center; Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS); Houlton Regional Hospital; Northern Maine Medical Center; provider medical offices; Aroostook County Action Program; the comprehensive community health coalitions in Aroostook (Power of Prevention and Aroostook Healthy Maine Partnership); Pines Health Services; the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA); and 2-1-1 Maine, a program supported by the United Ways of Maine; Ingraham; and the state of Maine.
    The program works like this: Aroostook County residents who need help paying for their prescription medicines can call 2-1-1, and after a conversation with a call specialist, can either be connected with a local advocate, or be linked directly to the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA), a program supported by PhRMA. Currently the prescription drug program is open to only residents of Aroostook County, while 2-1-1 is a statewide resource for Mainers seeking specific social service and medical needs.
    In just eight months, calls to 2-1-1 from Aroostook have swelled to roughly 243 per month — up from just 86 before the program began. Many of the callers were seeking help affording their prescription drugs. PhRMA also reports a very high rate of successfully matching people with free or low cost prescription assistance.
    The Aroostook County Prescription Drug Assistance program was developed after the most recent Community Health Needs Assessment, commissioned by EMHS and funded by Healthcare Charities revealed that residents of Aroostook are greatly in need of assistance affording their prescriptions. This pilot program was funded by a $10,000 grant from PhRMA. Since its launch in April 2005, the PPA has helped nearly five million Americans, including more than 20,000 in Maine.