Afford-A-Med 2000 by UNILAB
The company launched Afford-a-Med in 2000, a
price-reduction program that lowered the prices of several of its frequently
prescribed drugs by 10 to 40 percent. The program covered 65 products
considered as essential drugs commonly prescribed by doctors
UNILAB keeps refining its initiatives in lowering the prices of its medicine.
In 2002, it launched a new division, RiteMed, which
promises to deliver "right medicine, priced right." RiteMed manufactures and markets off-patent pharmaceuticals
that are priced 20 to 80 percent lower than equivalent branded drugs.
Pharmacoeconomics is based on the principle of
helping the patient be able to afford his medicines so that he can take them
for the prescribed or appropriate period to properly treat his medical problem.
Patients of limited means have a tendency to scrimp by
taking dosages less than prescribed by their doctor. Some even cut tablets in
half when they should take the entire tablet. The high costs of some drugs are
the main reason behind these practices. UNILAB’s Pharmacoeconomics offers an alternative to more expensive
drugs, with the goal of ensuring that the patient takes the medicines according
to his doctor’s directions.