Developing a Statewide Prescription Assistance Program

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Developing a Statewide Prescription Assistance
Program

• Establishing and Maximizing the Use of PAPs

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Model for Presentation

• Prescription Connection for North
  Dakota
• (PC4ND)

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I. Partners

• Clinics
• Storage of medication
• Considered the intermediary- hand-off
• Come aboard approach vs. Take charge approach
• Negatives of clinic programs
• May charge a fee for providing services
• Some may limit the number of prescriptions they
  help with

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Partners cont.

• Pharmacies
• May see it as taking business away
• Supporting people who could not afford medication
• May possibly advertise for indigent clientele
• Post-it example on bags

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Partners cont.

• Physicians, PAs, nurses, etc.
• Introduce program
• Encourage professionals to talk to patients about
  medication affordability during visits
• Make their job simple by providing easily
  understood marketing materials
• With PAP applications highlight areas that need
  to be completed by physician

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Partners cont.

• PhRMA Acronym stands for Pharmaceutical Research
  and Manufacturers of America
• Established and funded from pharmaceutical
  companies
• Offer PAP collaboration (www.phrma.org or
  pparx.org)
• PhRMA does not offer volunteer application
  assistance

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Partners cont.

• Positives of PhRMA
• No start up costs for program website
• Limited free marketing and visibility

• Negatives of PhRMA
• PhRMA has ultimate control over the website
  design, update and content
• No generics not all medications are listed
• Discount cards are not emphasized

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Partners cont.

• Service organizations
• Human Service Centers (regional)
• Dakota Medical Foundation
• CRCs (Community Resource Coordinators)
• Healthcare Organizations or non-profit healthcare
  entities
• SHIP

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II. Financial Resources

• Program initiated via legislation
• Proposed by Representative Bill Devlin
• House Bill No. 1399
• Proposed and adopted in 2003
• 150,000 annual budget
• For future programs
• Suggest promoting the program to state that it is
  an Economic Development Program
• Suggest encouragement of donations

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III. Promotion of the Program

• Leverage credibility of Insurance Commissioner
• Public presentations to interested parties
• Radio talk shows
• Television
• Newspaper Articles
• Emails
• Telephone calls (utilize volunteers)
• Daycare centers
• Schools
• Parish Nurses
• Clinics
• Pharmaceutical representatives

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IV. Leaders and Employees

• SHIC employees
• Prescription Connection Employees
• 2 FT
• Research
• Beneficiary call-backs
• Commissioner and staff
• Characteristics of employees
• Caring
• Investigative
• Creative

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V. Employee Expertise

• Employees and volunteers of SHIP make wonderful
  volunteers
• Knowledgeable about Part D issues/Medicare
• Comfortable completing applications
• Awareness of prescription medications
• Other professionals who make great volunteers
• CRCs
• Hospital and clinic staff
• Outreach workers at senior centers
• Parish workers
• Centers for Independent Living staff

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VI. Startup Equipment Requirements

• Computers with Internet access
• Telephone (headsets are wonderful!)
• Photocopier
• Fax
• Printers
• Applications for PAPs
• Specific instructions for each PAP

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VII. Travel and Outreach

• Health Fairs (Spring, Summer and Early Fall)
• Conferences
• State Fair

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VIII. PC4ND Process

• Client contacts program via phone or e-mail
• Clients information is inputted in telephone
  log/database/hotline
• In order of receipt, clients are called back and
  intake session begins
• PC4ND completes intake form
• Search is done for PAPs
• Applications and instructions are sent to client
• Follow-up with client after 2 weeks

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IX. Client Follow-up

• Clients are always encouraged to call with
  questions during the application process
• Clients are called within two weeks of receipt of
  application to see if they need additional
  assistance
• Clients are asked during the intake session if
  they need assistance with completing the
  application if yes, a volunteer is assigned to
  the client

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X. PDP Expertise

• Never judge black and white especially on
  incomes
• Hardship cases
• Let PAPs decide if clients qualify take
  pressure off your organization being the bad
  guy
• Coverage for Part D recipients in gap by PDPs
• Assets are usually not counted so they are not a
  problem as with LISA

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XI. Workspace

• Employees
• Private work space (confidential information is
  shared)
• Printer
• Computer with Internet
• Telephone with headset
• Access to fax machine
• Call log/hotline

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Workspace cont.

• Volunteers
• Large tables for assembling
• Applications
• Projects
• Outreach projects
• Printers, copiers and telephones
• Coffee!!

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XII. Supplies

• Postage
• Paper
• Program brochures
• Promotional Items
• Staplers, pens, paper, etc.
• Date stamp
• 3 ring binders
• Resource Directories (Physician, PA)

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XII. Database needs

• NeedyMeds.com
• Updated data system of PAPs
• Can purchase database for use on your own website
  or utilize their database (free)
• Affordable company works with non-profit
  entities to make it affordable
• Professional additions may be updated
  automatically
• Smaller versions available for small business use
  

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XIII. Data Collection

• Track each client via generic spreadsheet
• 2005/2006 12,719 people were helped
• Generic savings of 8,203,755 (Compile a savings
  per client based on a national average provided
  by PhRMA-645 per person)
• Include hits on website, walk-ins and volunteer
  contacts as clients that were assisted

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Logo
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ND PC4ND

• PC4ND would love to help you set up a program
  that has been as successful as ours.
• Contact Information
• Sharon St. Aubin _at_ sstaubin_at_nd.gov or
  701-328-9616
• Cindy Sheldon _at_ csheldon_at_nd.gov or
• 701-328-9604

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Questions??