US uninsured find cheap drugs with software

Almost 125,000 uninsured residents of Virginia, USA, are using a new software tool to receive more than $374.8 million since 1997 in low-cost or free prescription drugs. The scheme, called Pharmacy Connection, was developed by the non-profit Virginia Health Care Foundation, costing $700 to install with $500 per year maintenance costs. It is employed by 18 hospitals, physicians' offices and non-profit health care providers.

The software works by alerting the care provider when a patient is eligible for a drugmaker's patient assistance program. An application is automatically generated to be signed by both the physician and patient. Within weeks, the patient receives drugs via the mail or at a clinic, according to a report in the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper. The VHCF is also reportedly considering the expansion of the Pharmacy Connection to other US states.