July 10th, 2009

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has announced that its ‘Help is Here Express’ bus sponsored by their Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) program  is scheduled to crisscross Pennsylvania to help uninsured and financially struggling patients obtain the medicines they need. The PPA is a nationwide effort sponsored by America’s pharmaceutical research companies.

“The bus will tour the state the week of July 27. So far, the PPA has helped nearly 300,000 Pennsylvanians, including about 26,000 in Philadelphia, 14,000 in Pittsburgh, almost 7,000 in the Wilkes Barre/Scranton region and about 4,500 in Allentown.”

This will be the bus’ 23rd tour in Pennsylvania in four years.

Says PhRMA:  “Patients seeking help can call a toll-free number (1-888-4-PPA-NOW; 1-888-477-2669) to talk to a trained operator or access the PPA Web site (www.pparx.org ). Or, of course, they can work with specialists on board the ‘Help is Here Express’ if it rolls into their town. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes to determine if someone may qualify for free or nearly free medicines.”

Pennsylvania residents should check their local newspapers and TV stations to find out when and if the bus will visit their area.