Abbott Laboratories,
AstraZeneca, Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers
Squibb Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson
& Johnson, and Novartis unveil consumer-friendly
Rx savings card
New York, April
10, 2002 - For the first time, millions
of people enrolled in Medicare will have
access to savings on more than 150 widely
prescribed medicines through one free, easy-to-use
card unveiled by seven major pharmaceutical
companies. By offering one-card access to
savings on more medicines than any existing
pharmaceutical company savings program,
the Together Rx™ Card makes it easier
for 8 to 11 million Medicare enrollees who
have no prescription drug coverage to get
the medicines they need to help them maintain
active and independent lifestyles.
Through the Together Rx™ Card, Medicare
enrollees without public or private prescription
drug coverage and with incomes of up to
$28,000 ($38,000 for couples) can anticipate
obtaining savings ranging from approximately
20 to 40 percent and, in some cases, more,1
off the price they usually pay for prescription
medicines at the pharmacy, directly from
the manufacturers through a variety of savings
options. Together Rx™ Card enrollment
begins today, and cards become effective
in early June. The individual companies'
sales forces, which total more than 30,000
representatives, will assist in making enrollment
materials available through participating
pharmacies, physicians' offices, and community
centers.
In addition, during the enrollment process,
individuals of more limited income who meet
eligibility requirements for patient assistance
programs (PAPs) provided by the individual
companies or by foundations supported by
each of the individual companies will be
notified by McKesson, the Together Rx™
Card administrator, that they may qualify
for further savings-and in some cases free
medicines. The members of Together Rx™
are committed to maximizing enrollment in
the Together Rx™ Card and at the same
time to identifying patients who may qualify
for their independent PAPs.
"The lack of prescription drug coverage
among Medicare beneficiaries is a serious
national problem that no individual company
can solve," said executives from the
seven participating companies2.
"The program is being provided until
a much-needed Medicare prescription drug
benefit is enacted and implemented. While
the Together Rx Card is an excellent start,
it is not the single long-term solution
that is needed. We commend President Bush
for his leadership in calling for the enactment
of a comprehensive Medicare prescription
drug benefit this year."
The founding members of Together Rx, L.L.C.,
are: Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca, Aventis
Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company,
GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson ,
and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
Together, they offer savings on more than
150 prescription medicines, including 26
different medicines used to treat diabetes,
hypertension, high cholesterol, cancer,
allergy, asthma, arthritis, and depression,
which are among the most common conditions
affecting older Americans. Together Rx encourages
other pharmaceutical companies to join the
coalition in this significant step forward.
McKesson Corporation, the largest distributor
to the retail pharmacy market, will administer
the program on behalf of Together Rx. Pharmacies
across the country, including Wal-Mart,
Rite Aid, Walgreens, Target, Albertson's,
Costco, Kroger, and Safeway, have shown
strong support for the Together RxTM card.
In addition to accepting the card at their
retail outlets in communities across America,
participating pharmacies have made the commitment
to pass through direct to the patient 100%
of the savings being offered by the pharmaceutical
companies. Together Rx is actively speaking
with many other pharmacies and expects to
enlist additional support and commitment
in the near future.
"This is a valuable program-the best
yet in its convenience and breadth of medicines,"
said James Firman, President and CEO of
The National Council on the Aging (NCOA).
"NCOA will work to promote broad public
awareness of this program through its websites
and its national network of thousands of
community service organizations."
"Americans are becoming older and living
longer, ushering in a 'longevity revolution.'
I regard Together Rx as a very significant
interim step until we have a larger government
and/or public-private solution," said
Robert Butler, M.D., professor of Geriatrics
at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York
and President and CEO of the International
Longevity Center. "Simplicity and savings
are now matched with the broadest selection
of important prescription medicines, making
the Together Rx Card the best option to
date for Americans trying to maintain their
health and independence as they grow older."
The Together Rx™ Card addresses the
preferences of older Americans. According
to a leading nonprofit health-care reform
group, having access to a wide range of
medicines and choice of pharmacy are what
older Americans value most when it comes
to a prescription drug savings program .
"On behalf of the National Medical
Association, we welcome the Together Rx
Card," said Lucille C. Perez, M.D.,
President of the National Medical Association.
"With its broad eligibility requirements,
it will help a greater number of older Americans
and Medicare beneficiaries afford the important
medications their physicians prescribe.
More than two million African Americans
are over the age of 65. Our physician members
see a disproportionate number of America's
seniors who do not have any form of prescription
drug coverage. We applaud the companies
that have created this program to help those
with the greatest need."
Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy
G. Thompson called the card a "tremendous
new initiative," adding, "The
Together Rx Card will make life-saving medicines
more affordable for millions of seniors
and is a testimony to the way the private
sector effectively and creatively addresses
the needs of consumers and patients throughout
the country."
In addition to the NCOA and NMA, leading
health and medical organizations that have
expressed their support for the Together
Rx™ Card include the AARP, the Alzheimer's
Association, the American College of Physicians
- American Society of Internal Medicine,
the American Diabetes Association, the American
Psychiatric Association, the National Health
Council, the Alliance for Aging Research,
and the National Alliance for the Mentally
Ill. (A complete list of organizations that
have expressed support for the card is attached.)
The Together Rx™ Card also has received
broad support from members of the U.S. Congress
and governors, including House Energy &
Commerce Committee Chairman W.J. (Billy)
Tauzin (R-LA), Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations
Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA),
Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman
John Breaux (D-LA), House Ways & Means
Committee Vice Chairman Philip Crane (R-IL),
House Chief Deputy Majority Whip Roy Blunt
(R-MO), Rep. Calvin Dooley (D-CA), Rep.
Richard Burr (R-NC), Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ),
Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-NJ), Sen. Jon
Corzine (D-NJ), Gov. Gray Davis (D-CA),
Gov. John Rowland (R-CT), and Gov. Scott
McCallum (R-WI). (A complete list of federal
and state government officials that have
expressed support for the card is attached.)
About Together Rx™, L.L.C.
Abbott Laboratories
Abbott Laboratories is a global, broad-based
health care company devoted to the discovery,
development, manufacture and marketing of
pharmaceuticals, nutritionals, and medical
products, including devices and diagnostics.
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare
business engaged in the research, development,
manufacture, and marketing of ethical (prescription)
pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare
services. It is one of the top five pharmaceutical
companies in the world and holds leading
positions in sales of gastrointestinal,
oncology, anesthesia (including pain management),
cardiovascular, central nervous system (CNS),
and respiratory products. In the United
States, AstraZeneca is a multi-billion healthcare
business with more than 10,000 employees.
Aventis Pharmaceuticals
Aventis Pharmaceuticals conducts the U.S.
business of Aventis Pharma. The company
is dedicated to improving life by treating
and preventing human disease through the
discovery and development of innovative
pharmaceutical products. With headquarters
in Bridgewater, N.J., Aventis Pharmaceuticals
focuses its activities on important therapeutic
areas such as cardiology, oncology, anti-infectives,
arthritis, allergy and respiratory, diabetes,
and the central nervous system.
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global pharmaceutical
and related health care products company
whose mission is to extend and enhance human
life.
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading
research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare
companies, is committed to improving the
quality of human life by enabling people
to do more, feel better, and live longer.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson, with approximately
101,800 employees, is the world's most comprehensive
and broadly based manufacturer of health
care products, as well as a provider of
related services, for the consumer, pharmaceutical
and medical devices and diagnostics markets.
The company is committed to enhancing people's
lives through products and services across
the entire healthcare spectrum. Johnson
& Johnson has 197 operating companies,
including Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.,
Janssen Pharmaceutica Products L.P., and
McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals.
Its operating companies are in 54 countries
around the world, selling products in more
than 175 countries.
Novartis
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation researches,
develops, manufactures, and markets leading
innovative prescription drugs used to treat
a number of diseases and conditions, including
central nervous system disorders, organ
transplantation, cardiovascular diseases,
dermatological diseases, respiratory disorders,
cancer, and arthritis. The company's mission
is to improve people's lives by pioneering
novel healthcare solutions.
About McKesson Corporation
McKesson Corporation is the leading provider
of supply, information and care management
products and services designed to reduce
costs and improve quality across healthcare.
McKesson solutions empower healthcare professionals
with the tools they need to deliver care
more effectively and efficiently. McKesson
ranks #31 in the Fortune 500.
###
ATTACHMENTS:
1. List of third-party supporters
2. List of political supporters
1The range of anticipated savings reflects the mix of programs presently offered by each participating company, and is subject to change. Each company sets its own level of savings independently with a minimum discount of 15% off its list price to wholesalers. Actual consumer savings will vary depending on the pharmacy's customary pricing for the specific drug. Products offered are subject to change.
2David B. Goffredo, President,
Pharmaceutical Products Division, Abbott
Laboratories; David Brennan, President and
CEO, U.S. Operations, AstraZeneca; Richard
J. Markham, Chief Executive Officer, Aventis
Pharma; Donald J. Hayden, Jr., President,
North American Medicines, Bristol-Myers
Squibb Company; Robert Ingram, Chief Operating
Officer and President Pharmaceutical Operations,
Global, GlaxoSmithKline; Christine Poon,
Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals Group,
Johnson & Johnson; Paulo Costa, President
and Chief Executive Officer, Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corporation.. Johnson & Johnson is participating
in the Together Rx™ Card through its Ortho-McNeil
Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Janssen Pharmaceutica
Products, L.P. companies. Overview of Prescription
Drug Discount Cards; Alliance for Health
Reform Briefing, Nov. 19, 2001, presented
by Craig Fuller, NACDS president and CEO.
Accessed at: http://www.allhealth.org/recent/audio_11-19-01/fuller1119.ppt.
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