‘Help Is Here Express’ Bus Tour Coming To Midwest
To Assist Patients Affected by Recent Flooding and Tornadoes

Partnership for Prescription Assistance to help patients
In Illinois and Iowa in need of prescription medicines

Washington DC (July 1, 2008) – The “Help is Here Express” national bus tour will visit Iowa and Illinois in coming weeks to help uninsured and financially-struggling patients affected by the recent flooding and tornadoes in those states access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free. The bus tour is part of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) – a nationwide effort sponsored by America’s pharmaceutical research companies – raising awareness of patient assistance programs and the need to effectively address the rising and alarming rates of chronic disease.

“Our hearts go out to the residents of the Midwest who have had their lives turned upside-down so suddenly,” said Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). “In a crisis like this, people have enough on their minds; they should not have to worry about where to get the medicines they need. America’s pharmaceutical research companies are committed to doing what we can to help the people of Illinois and Iowa stay strong and healthy, so they can rebuild their community and their lives. It’s going to be a long and difficult journey and it’s important for affected people to know that they have friends all across the country who will help in their time of need.”

In Illinois, the cities affected by recent flooding and tornadoes to be visited by the “Help is Here Express” include Jacksonville, Edwardsville, Belleville, Chester, Carbondale, Harrisburg, Mt. Carmel and Charleston. In Iowa, the bus will visit Des Moines, Parkersburg, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport, Muscatine, Columbus Junction, Oakville, Burlington and Keokuk.

“From hurricane-devastated New Orleans to tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kansas, the PPA has been there when people have needed it. Now, it’s time for us to help the people of Illinois and Iowa,” Johnson said. “We want to do our part by including a way for patient assistance programs to provide expedited assistance to patients in obtaining their medicines.”

To date, the PPA has helped more than 5 million patients nationwide, including nearly 160,000 people in Illinois and more than 45,000 in Iowa. Since its launch in April 2005, the PPA bus tour has visited all 50 states and more than 2,000 cities to educate people about patient assistance programs. The “Help is Here Express” is staffed by trained specialists able to quickly help uninsured patients in need access information on more than 475 patient assistance programs, including nearly 200 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. When the “Help is Here Express” moves on, patients can visit PPA’s easy-to-use Web site (www.pparx.org) or call the toll-free phone number (1-888-4PPA-NOW) where trained operators field calls in 150 languages.

“The Partnership for Prescription Assistance is helping thousands of patients every day, but after a disaster like the one experienced in the Midwest, help is even more necessary,” said Billy Tauzin, PhRMA President and CEO. “No one’s helped by a medicine that sits on the shelf and is out of reach financially. We will keep coming back to Illinois and Iowa as long as there are people who need our help – and now, especially, is when they need it.”

On a national level, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance is represented by Emmy-winning syndicated television talk show host Montel Williams, named PPA’s national spokesman in January 2006. In addition, nationally recognized Telemundo talk show host and author Mayte Prida leads the PPA’s Hispanic outreach effort.

“Since January of 2006, I’ve been traveling the country talking about the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, urging people to make one call that can change their lives and help them afford their prescription medications,” said Williams. “And the word is getting out. But our job is not done; and for the millions still in need of assistance, I urge them to pick up the phone, log on to the Web site or visit the big, orange PPA bus to see if they may qualify for assistance.

“The PPA is a concerted and effective effort to reach those who still need help,” said Williams. “And I’m going to do everything that I can to get the word out. As a patient who must cope every day with the effects of multiple sclerosis, I understand only too well the importance of having access to the medicine you need.”

More than 1,300 national, state and local partners are working with America’s pharmaceutical research companies to spread the word about the program. Trained specialists work with doctors, pharmacists, health care providers and community groups, educating them on the process and use of the PPA’s easy-access Web site and toll-free number. The program also includes a disaster-relief form, which provides expedited service for patients who have been affected by a recent disaster, such as a flooding or tornadoes.

Over 2,500 different brand-name and generic prescription medicines are available through participating patient assistance programs. In addition, the PPA provides information on nearly 10,000 free health care clinics and has connected more than 241,000 patients with clinics and health care providers in their communities.

To find out if there are patient assistance programs that may meet their needs, patients should call toll-free 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) to speak with a trained specialist or visit www.pparx.org.

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The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $44.5 billion in 2007 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $58.8 billion in 2007.

PhRMA Internet Address: www.phrma.org

For information on stories of hope and survival, visit: http://sharingmiracles.com/

PhRMA en Español: www.nuestraphrma.org

For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: www.innovation.org

For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: www.pparx.org

For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: www.buysafedrugs.info