A program for procuring free medications for indigent patient's from pharmaceutical manufacturers is described. A medical center that provides $36 million in free care annually to indigent patients sought a way to offset drug costs for these patients while maintaining the same level of care. The pharmaceuticals with the greatest impact on the pharmacy budget were identified; manufacturers of these pharmaceuticals were surveyed to determine if they offered free drugs to qualified patients. The net potential cost avoidance resulting from procuring these free drugs was estimated at $150,000 for the first year. A full-time pharmacist was hired to identify patients likely to qualify for such assistance, help patients apply for assistance, and coordinate the receipt and distribution of the resulting medication supplies. The program served 200 patients the first year (fiscal year 1992) and more than 300 patients the next year. Medications obtained for these patients included i.v. immune globulin, cancer chemotherapy agents, growth' factors, antimicrobials, antiemetics, and interferons. The acquisition cost of the medications received was $448,851 in 1992 and $504,211 in 1993. A pharmacy-based program to procure free medications for indigent patients has helped to defray a medical center's expense of providing care.
