Medical Assistance Program (MAP)

Most pharmaceutical companies have programs that provide free, or low-cost, drugs for people who cannot afford them. Blue Ridge Medical Center's MAP program is the bridge between the pharmaceutical companies and the people who need them. Our coordinators help patients determine if they meet the programs' qualifications, assist them with the application(s) and ordering processes and notifies them when the medications are received. The following are frequently-asked questions about MAP.

Who Qualifies?
Most pharmaceutical companies use the federal poverty guidelines to determine whether someone qualifies for free or low-cost medications. If you do not have prescription coverage and you are not eligible for Medicare, and your income is within the qualifying limits, chances are you will be accepted.

Does this apply to ALL medications?
Some medications are not on the list of drugs covered by the program. In this case, your physician may be able to prescribe an alternative drug that is on the approved list.

How do I get started?
Tell your physician that you would like to get your medications through the MAP program. Ask if your prescription can be written for a 90-day supply. Bring your prescription along with proof of your income, (for example your most recent tax form), to the MAP office at Blue Ridge Medical Center.

The MAP Coordinator will assist you with the application and will check to determine whether your medications are available through the program. You will be notified when the medications are received-usually within six weeks. (You may need to ask your doctor for samples or a 30-day prescription in the meantime.)

Then, about six weeks before you are due to run out of your medication, call the MAP Coordinator to begin the reorder process. Important: The MAP Coordinator will not know to start the process unless you tell her.

What does it cost?
If you pick up your prescription at the Blue Ridge Medical Center pharmacy, you pay only a $4.00 dispensing fee. The Medication Assistance Program is funded, in part, by Virginia Health Care Foundation's RxRelief Initiative.