With unemployment up significantly, the uninsured and those struggling financially may be tempted to skip doses of their prescription medicines and that can be dangerous.

Failing to take prescribed medicines as directed can lead to needing even more health care services as well as to additional long–term health problems. This is certainly true in South Carolina given the state’s 2.5 million cases of common chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, hypertension, and diabetes—all diseases that, if left untreated or under–treated, can seriously undermine a patient’s health.

Struggling Columbia–area residents can look to the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) for help getting the medicines they need.

The PPA, sponsored by America’s pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, is a nationwide effort to help uninsured and financially–struggling patients obtain the medicines they need. The PPA provides patients with a single point of access to 475 local, state, and national patient assistance programs that can help patients get their medicines. In fact, nearly 200 of these programs are run directly by America’s pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies. Since it was launched in April 2005, the PPA has helped nearly 132,000 South Carolinians and more than 6 million people nationwide find programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free.

PPA’s partners are helping provide access to more than 2,500 brand–name and generic prescription medicines. Additionally, the PPA can give information on more than 10,000 free health–care clinics across America. In South Carolina alone, the PPA has helped direct more than 7,000 patients to free clinics and healthcare providers in their communities.

Patients may call PPA toll–free, 1-888- 477-2669, to talk with a trained specialist or they can visit PPA’s easy–to–use Web site at: www.pparx.org. It takes about 15 minutes to find out if they or a member of their family may qualify for free or discounted medicines. All patient communications with the PPA are strictly confidential. The author is chief medical officer of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the trade association representing the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies.