'We Believe That Everyone Should Have Access to Health Care Coverage'
 Events from May 1-7 Will Raise Awareness of Programs That Bring Medicines
                    Within Reach for Uninsured Americans

    NEW YORK, May 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As part of its support for
Cover the Uninsured Week, Pfizer is participating in education and training
events across the country to raise awareness and encourage participation in
Pfizer Helpful Answers, a family of patient assistance programs. Last year,
Pfizer helped more than two million Americans without prescription coverage
receive nearly 15 million Pfizer prescriptions. Pfizer programs are
available to anyone without prescription coverage -- no matter their age or
income. People with limited incomes may even qualify to get their Pfizer
medicines for free.
    Cover the Uninsured Week is an annual non-partisan campaign managed by
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to draw national attention to the
challenges faced by the uninsured. Held the first week of May, it provides
an opportunity for America's policymakers, patient advocates and health
care providers to discuss solutions for making quality health coverage and
health care available to the 46 million Americans who are uninsured.
    "At Pfizer, we believe that everyone should have access to health care
coverage, regardless of their age, income or employment status," said Pat
Kelly, president of Pfizer U.S. Pharmaceuticals. "It will take all
committed stakeholders working together to successfully address the needs
of the uninsured in a form that is sustainable. In the meantime, making
Pfizer medicines more easily accessible to the uninsured is one way we can
help Americans who are without coverage better manage their health."
    Pfizer will participate in a number of activities to raise awareness of
patient assistance programs like Pfizer Helpful Answers during Cover the
Uninsured Week, including:
     * The continuation of a series of training events scheduled for 2006,
       beginning in Albuquerque, that will inform community health care
       providers about programs like Pfizer Helpful Answers and how to help
       patients apply;

     * An educational tour targeting the Hispanic community, during which a
       representative of Pfizer Helpful Answers will travel with an
       information kiosk, from California to Texas to Florida, to educate
       Hispanic-American consumers about Pfizer Helpful Answers;

     * The distribution of thousands of Pfizer Helpful Answers informational
       materials to community organizations that are sponsoring events during
       Cover the Uninsured Week.
    "The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is delighted to once again have
Pfizer's support during Cover the Uninsured Week. For the past two years
Pfizer has offered information on Pfizer Helpful Answers to Cover the
Uninsured Week event planners who organize thousands of events during the
Week. Until we have adequate coverage solutions, support from companies
like Pfizer helps us to extend our outreach efforts to more of the nearly
46 million Americans who are uninsured and who can't get the care they
need," said David Morse, Vice President for Communications at the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation.
    In addition to Pfizer Helpful Answers, there are hundreds of programs
that can help uninsured Americans get access to potentially life-saving
medicines. To make it easy for people to find programs that may help,
pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, joined together last year to
create the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA). The PPA -- which
helped more than two million people in its first year -- offers a single
point of access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance
programs, including Pfizer Helpful Answers.
    For more information about Pfizer Helpful Answers, uninsured consumers
can call 1-866-706-2400 or visit http://www.PfizerHelpfulAnswers.com. The
PPA is accessible via the Web at http://www.PPARx.org, or by calling
1-888-4PPA-NOW.
    About Pfizer
    Pfizer is committed to helping people improve their health by
discovering and developing medicines, as well as informing consumers and
health care providers about our medicines and the medical conditions they
treat. Through multiple initiatives, Pfizer aims to enhance access to
treatments and educate, empower and motivate consumers to take the
necessary steps to lead longer, healthier, happier lives.
    Pfizer Helpful Answers: Patient Perspective
    Doloris Smith tells everyone she can about Pfizer Helpful Answers, a
family of programs that helps people without prescription coverage save on
many Pfizer medicines, no matter their age or income. People with limited
incomes may even qualify to get their Pfizer medicines for free through the
program. Like nearly 46 million Americans, Ms. Smith is uninsured, and
patient assistance programs like Pfizer Helpful Answers can mean the
difference between whether or not she gets the medicine for her medical
condition. "Every month that I get my prescription through Pfizer Helpful
Answers is a gift," said Ms. Smith. "Before I found this program, I didn't
know if I was going to be able to afford the medicines that my doctor
prescribed for me. Now I am less stressed and my mother and children don't
have to worry as much about my health. Pfizer's program makes it easy for
me to get the medicines I need and think it could make a big difference for
other people who are uninsured."

Link to this page:

  

http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/688250.html/
CONTACT:
Darlene Taylor of Pfizer Inc, +1-212-733-0475

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