Prescription-drug group has helped 30,000 Utahns
The 5 millionth person to be helped by the Partnership for Prescription Assistance is a 27-year-old college student from Salt Lake whose mental illness is kept under control through prescription drugs obtained through the partnership.
Criss-crossing the country raising awareness of medication assistance programs, the partnership of pharmaceutical research companies has helped a total of 30,000 Utahns to obtain prescription medicine since it was organized three years ago, said Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, who was at the Capitol to make the announcement.
"There are probably 100,000 more who need our help but don't know about it," he said. "That's why we're back and why we'll keep coming back."
Pharmaceutical companies, which have come under increasing criticism for marketing directly to patients and are often pointed to as significant contributors to the soaring cost of health care, have been direct-helping those who need it most and who most likely either can't afford proper medication or simply aren't sure where to turn to access it, Johnson said.
Critics have also said that big drug manufacturers are the main reason that efforts in various states and by the federal government to fix the health care system have yet to fully materialize. A consultant to Utah's Health Care Reform Task Force who did not want to speak publicly praised the drug assistance effort but said it in a way promotes research and development of medicines that have the net effect of keeping conditions chronic rather than leading to a cure.
"Pharmaceuticals have to step up and become involved in determining what can be done reduce cost and to focus more on prevention of health problems," he said.
To believe that research labs and drug companies aren't interested in prevention or just want people well enough to keep paying "is ridiculous and implies a conspiracy of people who work hard every day and would end disease tomorrow if they could," Montel Williams, PPA spokesman and Emmy award-winning television talk show host, told the Deseret News after speaking at the Capitol.
Williams, who has muscular dystrophy, said the work of the companies in the partnership and his own decision to take responsibility for his health have had positive results. He said critics of the industry are the same kind of people who blame everyone but themselves for whatever is going wrong in their lives.
Recent comments
Utahns would be better off buying low-cost drugs from licensed foreign...
Mike | June 30, 2008 at 3:39 p.m.
I believe that Williams has multiple sclerosis, not muscular dystrophy...
Babs | June 30, 2008 at 11:40 a.m.
