The Ins & Outs of Patient Assistance Programs

1. Apply online when available. Turnaround time is substantially quicker—weeks rather than months—for online applications than for mailed or faxed applications.
2. Call the drug company directly with questions. PAP staff are responsive and great at troubleshooting. Calling is easier than finding answers on drug company websites, especially because PAP information is often buried beneath multiple clicks.
3. Involve one of your team members to follow up with the patient and assist with the application process as needed. This is especially important for non-English-speaking patients because PAP phone services all start with prompts in English.
4. Send in the provider part of the PAP application at the time of visit. Nearly all applications require a signed form from the prescriber as part of the application. These can be found on PAP websites.
5. Encourage the patient to follow up with the drug company every two weeks to confirm receipt of all required documents and to check on status. Drugs won’t be approved if any part of the application is missing, but companies don’t typically notify patients about missing paperwork. Delays in approval notification are also common, and the patient typically needs to call to arrange delivery of the first shipment. It’s frustrating to find out a free drug supply has been approved for months, unbeknownst to the patient or provider.
6. Remind the patient to call the drug company directly to set up refill deliveries. Some companies allow patients to sign up to receive text message reminders about refills.
7. Plan ahead. Most drug companies approve free drug supplies for one year, although some may approve the drug for up to three years. If therapy is to be continued via a PAP, the patient must reapply one to three months before their approval lapses.

Figure 1. PAP phone numbers as of January 2022.