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http://www.omniture.com --> Email Story to a Friend June 16, 2006 Leo Blaettler of Medford talks with Jessica Wilson, of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, right, while Roger and Marjery Turnbull of Medford wait in the mirrored and carpeted mobile office. (Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell) Help for the high cost of drugs comes in the form of a coach By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Boarding a converted coach bus Thursday helped Leo Blaettler drastically reduce the cost of his prescription medications. Blaettler, 82, figured he spends about $125 a month on three different drugs. Prescriptions for his 83-year-old wife cost about two or three times that much, he said. "They're too expensive," the Medford resident said. It's a problem plaguing many Americans, said Nina DeLorenzo, senior director of communications for Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America. DeLorenzo on Thursday stopped in with the Help is Here Express bus, a traveling education center that aims to enroll the needy in national programs that drastically reduce the cost of prescription medications. Blaettler was one of about 30 local residents who stopped by the Genesee Street parking lot of United Way in Medford to get assistance. "This is helping the people who really need it," DeLorenzo said. Medford's La Clinica del Valle Health Center helped promote the event locally because the cost of prescriptions isn't just a financial issue, said Executive Director Brenda Johnson. It's also a health issue, she said. La Clinica del Valle staff see "a lot" of their low-income patients — many Hispanic — taking their medications every other day or "splitting" them because they simply can't afford to take them as directed, Johnson said. La Clinica has one staff member who researches patient assistance programs. But "it's a really cumbersome process," she said. About 475 public and private assistance programs exist, DeLorenzo said. But Partnership for Prescription Assistance PPA, which operates Help is Here Express, is a single point of access to every one of those programs, she said. The bus is equipped with phones and computers to link patients with PPA on-site. Since its launch in April last year, PPA — sponsored by U.S. pharmaceutical companies — has matched more than 2.3 million Americans and 31,000 in Oregon, DeLorenzo said. After waiting about an hour on slow computer connections, Blaettler got some good news. A program was available for each of his three prescriptions, allowing him to obtain them free or "nearly free," said Jessica Wilson, a PPA staff member. An additional discount card could help him purchase other pharmaceuticals like aspirin, she said. His income was a factor. Blaettler left with applications to fill out and mail back to assistance programs. In about two to three weeks, he or his physician should start receiving his medications, Wilson said. "We can buy beer," Blaettler joked. Medford was the fourth Oregon stop for Help is Here Express. By July the bus will have visited every U.S. state, DeLorenzo said. Those who missed the event can obtain prescription assistance through PPA's toll-free number 888-4PPA-NOW or via its Web site " target="_blank">www.pparx.org. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Casino Reviews