The State of Louisiana and Together Rx Access Join Forces to Improve Prescription Access for Uninsured Residents

BATON ROUGE, La. and ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The State of Louisiana and Together Rx Access announced today the launch of the Together Rx Access(R) FOR LOUISIANA Card to help thousands of eligible uninsured Louisianans access immediate and meaningful savings on prescription medicines and products right at their neighborhood pharmacies.

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

"This is a terrific opportunity to help people who currently do not have access to needed prescription drugs," said Alan Levine, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. "This collaboration with Together Rx Access makes sense for the state and for people who suffer from chronic conditions."

In Louisiana, more than 2.5 million people are estimated to have at least one of the seven most common chronic diseases.*

"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, used to treat many common conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure and high cholesterol," said Roba Whiteley, executive director of Together Rx Access. "This collaboration with Louisiana will help open the door to better prescription access for many more uninsured people across the state, and we are grateful for the tremendous support of Secretary Levine."

"Community pharmacists have long worked with our patients, regardless of their ability to pay, in helping them address their need for prescription drugs," said Randal Johnson, president of the Louisiana Independent Pharmacies Association. "We are pleased when others join in supporting our under- and uninsured in helping provide access to necessary medication. Louisiana Independent Pharmacies Association joins with Secretary Alan Levine, the department, and Together Rx Access in helping meet the needs of our patients."

The income levels for which individuals are eligible for a Together Rx Access FOR LOUISIANA 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 the United States or Puerto Rico, and have no public or private prescription coverage or qualify for Medicare.

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 1-866-972-9833, 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 the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) serves to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov.

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** on brand-name prescription products. More than 300 brand-name prescription products are included in the Program.*** 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 1-866-972-9833, or visit TogetherRxAccess.com. Information is also available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Together-Rx-Access/56025368931.

* An Unhealthy America: The Economic Impact of Chronic Disease. The Milken Institute. Available at http://www.chronicdiseaseimpact.com/ebcd.taf?cat=state&state=LA. Accessed July 27, 2009.

** 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.

(*** )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.

(C) 2009 Together Rx Access, LLC.