Free or Discounted Medications and Services
No insurance? Are you paying high out of pocket expenses for mental health medications and services? Do you neglect to take your medications because you’re afraid of the bill every month?
You’re not alone. Many people pay upwards of $500 a month for services and prescriptions. This puts a huge dent in their budget. Wouldn’t you like to get medications and services for free or discounted? It’s possible. You might have to do a little paperwork to get them, but wouldn’t it be worth it?
Services are available for free from your county’s MHMR program. Google it for your area. Services include medication support and case management services. Multi-disciplinary teams provide screening, initial assessment and intake, plan of care development, medication services, casework, and case management.
Rehabilitation skills training is available at MHMR when the client and treatment team identify needed training. The services are designed to assist individuals achieve optimum levels of functioning, reduced symptoms and psychiatric hospital admissions.
You qualify for MHMR if you’re an adult with severe and persistent mental illnesses (like Bipolar Disorder) and/or a history of multiple hospitalizations or who are at high risk for hospitalization. Adults may also have a co-occurring diagnosis of mental illness, developmental disabilities and/or substance use disorders. Income guidelines may be implemented, but when I went to MHMR it was free.
Drug companies are discounting medications in several programs that are available to you. There may be income guidelines. Check each website for further information. Free medications can be found at Freemedicinefoundation.com. Discounted medications can be found at Needymeds.org. Here’s also a list I found on NAMI’s website for discounted or free medications.
| Abilify | Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | 800-332-2056 |
| BuSpar | Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | 800-332-2056 |
| Celexa | Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 800-851-0758 |
| clozapine (generic) | IVAX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 800-327-4114 x4344 |
| Clozaril | Novartis Pharmaceuticals
| 800-257-3273 - short term
|
| Depakote | Abbott Laboratories | 800-222-6885 |
| Desyrel (150 & 300 mg pills only) | Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | 800-332-2056 |
| Effexor | Wyeth Pharmaceuticals | 800-568-9938 |
| Geodon | Pfizer Inc. | 866-706-2400 |
| Haldol, Haldol Decanoate | Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc. | 800-577-3788 |
| Isoptin | Abbott Laboratories | 800-222-6885 |
| Klonopin | Roche Pharmaceuticals | 800-285-4484 |
| Lexapro | Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 800-851-0758 |
| Ludiomil | Novartis Pharmaceuticals | 800-257-3273 |
| Neurontin | Pfizer Inc. | 800-707-8990 |
| Paxil | GlaxoSmithKline | 866-728-4368 |
| Prolixin, Prolixin Decanoate | Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | 800-332-2056 |
| Prozac | Eli Lilly and Company | 800-545-6962 |
| Risperdal | Janssen Pharmaceutica | 800-652-6227 |
| Serentil | Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals | 800-556-8317 |
| Seroquel | AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals | 800-424-3727 |
| Tegretol | Novartis Pharmaceuticals | 800-257-3273 |
| Valium | Roche Pharmaceuticals | 800-285-4484 |
| Wellbutrin | GlaxoSmithKline | 866-728-4368 |
| Zoloft | Pfizer Inc. | 800-707-8990 |
| Zyprexa | Eli Lilly and Company | 800-545-6962 |
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© 2009 Cristina Fender
This was a very helpful post for people struggling to afford their meds.
I tried our local MHMR place and will NEVER go back. It was the most incompetent place i'd ever been. It was horrible. The lady checked her computer screen and concluded that I did not qualify for their services that they offered. She was not a licensed dr she was part of the evaluation process that you have to go through before you ever get to speak to a licensed dr. She concluded I had borderline personality disorder which bipolar disorder is often mistaken as. She even said,"no look it says it right here on my screen" .. You know b/c computers should diagnose people! It was a horrible experience..
I went to my local MH, but said they couldn't help me unless i was homeless or in the hospital. This was after i had a 3 day depression coma where i could hardly speak. I had called my old Psych Doc, but it had been over a year that I saw him so he couldn't write me a prescription. And I could't afford the $300 it would have cost to see him. yes, I stopped my meds, and was more than half out of my mind. How sad that no-one cares unless you have the money to pay for treatment.