U.S. Philanthropic Programs Data Summary 2005-2008

	2008	2007	2006	2005
Number of patients utilizing Merck's Patient Assistance Program (PAP)	250,285	350,000	540,240	730,000
Number of prescriptions filled under Merck's PAP ($US)	1.5M	>1.6M	>3.4M	6.9M
Total value of Merck medicines dispensed under Merck's PAP	$174M	$161.5M	$326M	$502M
Number of patients enrolled in Merck Prescription Discount Program	6,952	12,334	28,946	82,742
Number of enquiries to Merck's call center about PAP/discount program	347,557	328,724	526,640	1,025,659

Totals include the U.S. Merck Vaccine Patient Assistance Program and are based on the U.S. wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) price.

Merck experienced a 19 percent decline in patient enrollment in our corporate U.S. Patient Assistance Program(PAP) from 2007 to 2008; this compares to a 35 percent decrease from the previous year. Total prescriptions declined by 12 percent in 2008, while total value of products provided through Merck's Patient Assistance Programs decreased by 5 percent. The decline is attributed in part to an increasing number of patients with prescription drug coverage (including through the Medicare Prescription Drug Program, which began January 1, 2006). In parallel, we have seen a shift in usage of the PAP to patients under the age of 65. This represents a shift from past years, showing that more and more seniors are obtaining prescription medicines through the Medicare Prescription Drug Program. Another contributing factor to usage decline was the removal of one Merck product – FOSAMAX - from the product list in mid 2008 (six months after patent expiry) once patients had broad access to lower-cost generic equivalents.  FOSAMAX alone had previously represented 24 percent of Merck's PAP total.

Effective March 1, 2009, Merck increased the income limit to the Merck Patient Assistance Program to enable more people in need to receive Merck medicines for free. Patients now may qualify for the program if their household income is $43,320 or less for individuals, $58,280 or less for couples or $88,200 or less for a family of four (previous income limits were $21,660, $29,140, $44,100 respectively).

The content on this page was last modified on September 15, 2009.

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