THE SELMA TIMES-JOURNAL

Area residents will be able to get some help with prescription drugs, which can help those who often make critical choices.

Ashvin Parikh, director of the Dallas County Health Department, said the program would be helpful in assisting persons with prescription medication.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance, sponsored by America’s pharmaceutical research companies, is a rolling cure for the underinsured that may struggle with paying for the basic human needs and expensive prescription drugs.

“We’re really excited,” Parikh said. “This is needed in the community. It helps people who are underinsured and can’t afford prescriptions. The bus has everything we need, including telephones and trained specialists.”

It is the largest private sector effort dedicated to helping patients in need find ways to access prescription medicines for little or no cost through patience assistance programs. The partnership brings together America’s pharmaceutical research companies and more than 1,300 national, state and local organizations, from the American Academy of Family Physicians and American Cancer Society, to United Way and the Urban League, according to its web site.

Since its launch in April 2005, the PPA has helped connect more than 4 million patients to patient assistance programs offering free or low-cost prescription medicines

Talk show host Montel Williams became a national spokesperson for the Partnership for Prescription Assistance in January 2006.

He regularly participates with the “Help is Here Express.” It consists of two buses that crisscross the country, stopping in hundreds of towns and cities to educate the public about drug assistance programs, according to the PPA.

Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, and the Dallas County Health Department are sponsoring the PPA stop at the Dallas County Health Department on Wednesday, Sept. 12.

The Help is Here Express will be available to assist interested persons in finding out if they qualify for one or more of 475 patient assistance programs, Parikh said.