Pfizer offers free drugs to unemployed

NEW YORK, May 14 (UPI) -- U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said it would offer free medication to eligible unemployed U.S. workers who had lost their health insurance.

The company will call the program MAINTAIN, an acronym standing for "Medicines Assistance for Those who Are In Need," the company said.

"We all know people who have been laid off recently and have lost their health insurance, making it difficult for them to pay for health care," said Pfizer Regional President of Worldwide Pharmaceuticals Dr. Jorge Puente in a statement.

The program, which will help Pfizer maintain customer loyalty among unemployed U.S. workers, will be open for enrollment through the end of the year. It is open for "eligible Americans who have been unemployed since Jan. 1," the company said.

Pfizer said the program would run on matching Pfizer employee and company funding.

"Pfizer employees … asked to be able to do their part by donating their own money," the statement said.

Eligibility requires loss of employment since Jan. 1, a lack of a health plan that covers prescriptions and compliance with a prescription for a Pfizer medication for a minimum of three months prior to the first day of unemployment or enrolling in the program.