Merck
& Company will provide free medications
through Health
Kentucky’s statewide program assisting
uninsured
LOUISVILLE,
Ky., October 29, 2002 — Health Kentucky
announced that Merck & Company began
providing 11 of its medications free of
charge to Kentuckians who qualify for free
health care. The free medications are part
of an effort by Health Kentucky to provide
low-income Kentuckians with access to high-quality
health care.
The
medications being made available by Merck
& Company include CozaarÒ , HyzaarÒ
, SingulairÒ , ProscarÒ , ZocorÒ
, MaxaltÒ , Maxalt-MLTÒ , TrusoptÒ
, CosoptÒ , VioxxÒ , and FosamaxÒ
. Several of the medications treat conditions
for which there was previously an unmet
need in the program including asthma, ophthalmic
agents, benign prostatic hypertrophy, migraine,
and osteoarthritis.
"Health
Kentucky patients can now be treated for
more conditions with medications that are
available to them without charge,"
said J Scott Judy, executive vice president
for Health Kentucky. "Merck’s
generosity will have a tremendous impact
on thousands of people who might have otherwise
gone without pharmaceutical treatment for
their condition."
Merck
& Company joins Health Kentucky’s
network of volunteer health-care providers,
which consists of seven other pharmaceutical
companies, more than 3,000 physicians, 140
dentists, 460 pharmacies, all 127 acute-care
hospitals in Kentucky, and every home health
agency and hospice in the state. Health
Kentucky is a private, non-profit organization
whose mission is to arrange access to health
care for uninsured Kentuckians.
Since
1984, Health Kentucky has coordinated access
to free health care for more than 200,000
citizens who live below the poverty level,
do not qualify for government programs and
cannot afford health insurance. Individuals
can call 800-633-8100 to apply to
Health Kentucky, a statewide, non-profit
organization. Once a person is approved,
he or she remains eligible for one year
to visit volunteer doctors, dentists, hospitals,
home health agencies and hospices, and obtain
free prescriptions donated by pharmaceutical
companies. An individual can reapply for
another year of eligibility at the end of
the first year.
For Immediate Release
Contact: J Scott Judy
Executive Vice President
Health Kentucky
502-254-4214
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