Q. My husband has been diagnosed with paranoid Schizophrenia about two years ago. He was on Abilify, Cymbalta and one other medication. He stopped taking them recently because we are having trouble affording the meds. This is not a good thing for him my kids or myself. I am asking does anyone have any ideas or resources that I may be able to look into. PLEASE HELP!!!!
A. The medications used to treat schizophrenia can be quite expensive. Just recently, I priced a 30 day supply of Zyprexa (antipsychotic drug) at over $400. You can try several different ways to help get his medications paid for. I have worked with quite a few people who sign up for PAP programs. I have seen these programs offered through community mental health centers by drug companies. The purpose of these programs is to help patients get their medication for a reduced rate or even for free. If your husband does not attend a community mental health center, then maybe you could contact the drug company directly. Check out the drug company websites to see if there are any free medication programs. Also, many doctors have available to them free samples of the medications they prescribe. Many doctors have samples on hand at the clinic or can easily make a phone call to a drug representative to get the drug they want. You may have to ask for these free samples but I have known many people who rely on samples as their main medication supply and have done so for years. Also, I am not sure what the situation is like where you live, but in the county that I live in (a county in Pennsylvania), many patients receive their medications through county medication assistance programs. Basically, this involves individuals who earn under a certain amount of money per year getting their medications paid for by the county. Another idea that you may wish to try is the NAMI website (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill). They often have links and resources for individuals looking to get help with medication funding. I hope this helps. Take care.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 11 Dec 2006
Randle, K. (2006). Husband diagnosed Schizophrenic can’t afford all the medications. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 14, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/ask-the-therapist/2006/12/11/husband-diagnosed-schizophrenic-cant-afford-all-the-medications/
