Increasingly creative methods are being used by big pharma to increase sales. Drug manufacturers are donating billions of dollars to not-for-profit organizations that fund co-pay assistance programs for patients. Pharmaceutical company profits are through the roof, and these not-for-profit organizations are growing at incredible rates. Even though patients are receiving much-needed financial help, there is an abundance of legal and ethical concerns.
Google the topic of “Co-Pay Charities” and the search engine returns information that could not be farther apart. The first result is a revealing article about the real reasons behind the assistance that big pharma is providing to patients, Medicare patients in particular. The second result is a guide for Medicare patients that provides information on how to access that same support and financial assistance for prescription medications. This is an apt snapshot of the breadth of issues and questions that surround the increasing presence of co-pay charities that provide financial assistance to particular groups of health care consumers, and pharmaceutical companies.
Read Full Article in the November 2016 Issue of Life Science Compliance Update