Diabetes and asthma medications for uninsured Latinos through pharmaceutical patient assistance programs: Is it worth the effort?

In the U.S., Latinos account for more than one-third of the 45.8 million uninsured. For uninsured Latino patients who have chronic diseases like diabetes and asthma, ensuring access to medications is essential to their management. This study describes two case studies evaluating the availability and accessibility of brand name prescription medications through pharmaceutical patient assistance programs (PAPs) for uninsured Latinos with asthma and diabetes. The study focused on a brand name list of 63 asthma and 26 diabetes medications from the American Lung Association, and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, respectively. Availability was assessed by searching for the list of medications in an online database of PAPs, RxAssist.org. Accessibility was assessed by developing and applying two hypothetical, uninsured Latino patient profiles to PAP applications and eligibility criteria. Of the 89 medications, 48% (n=39) were found in RxAssist, totaling 19 for diabetes and 20 for asthma. Seventeen distinct pharmaceutical manufacturers provided the 39 available medications, each with its own unique application and eligibility requirements. Findings from the two patient profiles revealed multiple potential barriers to accessibility, including vague income requirements, complex application procedures, and limited Spanish-language materials. The patient profiles also revealed that certain demographics limit the number and therapeutic class of medications accessible to patients. Though PAPs can serve as a safety net for the uninsured, these two cases illustrate difficulties in access to medications. Due to the proprietary nature of PAPs, it remains unknown if medications provided through PAPs are effectively reaching the uninsured.