Local nonprofit helps middle class get lower prescription drug costs

GLOUCESTER – A Gloucester nonprofit has established itself as an information resource to help people save money on prescription drugs and health care, an often costly expense that can make people sacrifice their wellbeing for other daily needs.NeedyMeds was founded in 1997 by its president, Dr. Richard Sagall, and his friend Libby Overly, who was working as medical social worker. Sagall said he was practicing family medicine at the time in Bangor, Maine, and was intrigued when Overly told him about patient assistance programs. These PAPs, he said, are voluntary systems run by pharmaceutical companies that help people receive prescription medications at little to no cost through an application process.?The one commonality between all these programs is that you need to have a prescriber?s involvement, because these programs are similar to a drug store,” he said.People who are enrolled in the PAPs usually are low-to-moderate income and uninsured or under-insured, and Sagall said people have to qualify on the basis of income, residency, diagnosis and insurance.However, Sagall said that even if someone does not think they would be eligible for a PAP, the person should still apply because some programs are more generous with whom they grant help.?A family of four making $88,000 a year would still qualify for some of the programs, but some wouldn?t call them poor,” he said.The nonprofit?s website, needymeds.org, has information on more than 5,000 PAPs, 1,300 disease-based assistance programs and 10,000 free or low cost clinics that charge on a sliding scale based on income.The website is updated daily with new information, Sagall said, and there is no charge to use any of the databases. He estimated that an average of 15,000 to 17,000 people visit the site on weekdays.Sagall said that people are frequently not aware of the potential discounts on prescription medications or other health care costs available to them.?It can take some work to find out this information, and that?s why on NeedyMeds it?s in one place,” he said.NeedyMeds also offers a free drug discount card, which can be downloaded off its website or sent by mail. One family can use the same card, and Sagall said the card is accepted at more than 62,000 pharmacies across the county. The discount can be claimed on prescription medications, pet prescriptions and over-the-counter medications or medical supplies written as prescriptions. Sagall said the average savings is 40 to 50 percent off the cash price, but that figure can go up to 80 percent.The card, Sagall said, is an alternative to PAPs because there are no eligibility guidelines.?As I like to say, the only requirement to use our drug discount card is you have to be breathing,” he said.Sagall said he was motivated to leave medicine to run the nonprofit because he wanted to help people that did not know what to do about their high health care costs.?I?ve always been a strong advocate of patient education and patient involvement in their own care, and I saw too many people that weren?t able to afford their medication and it was obviously affecting their health,” he said.To contact NeedyMeds by mail for a free drug discount card, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to NeedyMeds, Inc., P.O. Box 219, Gloucester, MA, 01931.