Prescription Assistance

Prescription Assistance helps people gain access to drug company assistance programs supplying prescription medications at low or no cost. In addition, a pharmacist may contact you to discuss your options.

Prescription Assistance does not:

  • Pay for medications.
  • Reimburse past medication expenses.

It is important to take medications exactly as prescribed. Not being able to afford needed medications can affect how you take them. Failure to follow your doctor's instructions can result in serious illness, hospitalization, nursing home placement or in some cases death.

Eligibility:

A person may be eligible for Prescription Assistance if he or she meets the following requirements.

  • You must be a South Dakota resident.
  • You have no prescription drug coverage through private insurance.
  • You do not qualify for any state assistance programs for prescription drugs.
  • You have a low income. You must be within the following income and asset guidelines to be eligible for the Application Assistance Program.
Income Guidelines:

Single Person:

$18,000 yearly

Couple:

$24,000 yearly

Asset Guidelines:
(Example: checking/savings accounts, stocks, bonds, CDs, annuities, etc.)

Single Person:

$8,000

Couple:

$12,000

Applying:

To apply for Prescription Assistance, you must complete an application form and certify to the truthfulness and accuracy of income and resource information.

The drug manufacturer has the final authority regarding approval of your application. The Prescription Assistance Program cannot guarantee you will receive the medication you requested free of charge. The assistance provided by the drug manufacturer is generally intended to be temporary. The drug manufacturer's program may be limited by available funding and may be modified or discontinued at any time.

Not all prescription medications are available. Some drug manufacturers do not have a patient assistance program.

You can also request medication assistance from various pharmaceutical companies without applying for Prescription Assistance. The following are links to pharmaceutical companies and programs providing other types of assistance.

RxAccess Information