Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in U.S. women, accounting for about 1 in 3 new cancers in women each year. The incidence of breast cancer has increased in recent years, likely due to a better understanding of risk factors among younger women, as well as more early detection.
That increase in diagnoses comes alongside a consistent decrease in fatality rates, though. Breast cancer death rates have decreased steadily over the last few decades as both detection and treatments have improved.
Unfortunately, like with many cancers, access to those proven treatments can too often be more difficult than it sounds.
Prescription Treatment Options for Breast Cancer
Treatment for breast cancer varies depending on factors like the cancer’s progression, its hormone receptor status (like ER-positive or PR-positive), and its HER2 protein status.
“Typical” treatments like surgery, intravenous chemotherapy, or radiation are common among breast cancer patients. But prescription medication has come a long way toward effectively addressing breast cancer, too. Some common classes of prescription drugs for breast cancer include:
- Hormone therapy – These medications work by blocking or lowering the production of certain hormones, like estrogen or progesterone, that may fuel the cancer’s growth. For example, one type of hormone therapy is a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM), like Tamoxifen. These drugs work by blocking estrogen from attaching to breast cancer cells.
- Targeted therapy – These drugs are designed to attack specific proteins or changes on the inside or on the surface of cancer cells. A number of specialty prescriptions fall into this category, and a patient’s specific needs depend on the characteristics of the cancer being treated. Some of the most commonly prescribed targeted therapies include CDK4/6 inhibitors like Verzenio and Ibrance, which slow cancer cell division and are often paired with chemotherapy; PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway Inhibitors like Truqap, which target internal signaling pathways in many advanced breast cancers; or PARP inhibitors like Lynparza, which are typically used in patients with inherited BRCA gene mutations.
- Oral chemotherapy – This class of drugs has come a long way in recent years, offering patients options in addition to traditional IV chemotherapy. Just like IV chemo, these medications attack rapidly dividing cells. One example of oral chemotherapy for breast cancer is Xeloda.
The Cost of Breast Cancer Prescriptions
Prescription treatments for breast cancer have advanced remarkably. But they come at quite a cost. The retail price for some of the lifesaving drugs mentioned in this article are:
- Verzenio – $17,500 to $23,000 per month, depending on dosage
- Ibrance – $13,000 to $17,000 per month, depending on dosage form and amount
- Lynparza – $9,000 to $16,000 per month, depending on dosage
- Tamoxifen – one of the more affordable options, this drug runs “only” about $200 per month
- Xeloda – $700 to $3000 per month, depending on dosage form and amount
Insured patients are not immune to these prices, either. Consider situations like:
- A patient with a high-deductible plan may be faced little or no support for accessing these medications prior to meeting the deductible – which may be impossible in one lump sum;
- Some insurance plans carve out certain drugs or drug classes;
- Drugs with price tags this high almost always require a prior authorization – a potentially monthslong delay to treatment that can’t wait;
- Many plans require patients to pay for a percentage of their prescriptions, leaving them to cover, for example, 10% of that $17,000 Verzenio – a sudden $1,700 per month bill.
If a patient has no insurance? Too often, those patients just go without, because even the more “modestly priced” $200 drugs are more than they can afford.
Prescription Assistance for Breast Cancer Medications
Because these medications are so expensive, most drugmakers offer assistance like co-pay cards and manufacturer assistance programs. Assistance options for the specific drugs mentioned in this article include:
- Verzenio – Lilly Savings Support
- Ibrance – Pfizer Oncology Together
- Lynparza – Lynparza Patient Support
In addition to manufacturer support, many patients in need may be able to access patient assistance programs specific to breast cancer. These programs typically offer monetary grants to eligible patients to assist with out of pocket costs. Some of these programs include:
- Patient Advocate Foundation
- The Assistance Fund
- HealthWell Foundation (Medicare only)
- CancerCare
- Komen Financial Assistance
- The Pink Fund
- United Breast Cancer Foundation
Too often, though, programs like these have gaps or leave some patients behind. Co-payment assistance is only available to commercially insured patients. Manufacturer assistance applications can move more slowly than the patient’s treatment needs. Patient assistance programs accept applications at certain times, resulting in a potentially lengthy wait.
And those are the gaps filled by Medication Rescue.
Breast Cancer Prescription Assistance Through Medication Rescue
Unlike most prescription assistance programs, medication rescue moves quickly. Patients who request assistance know within one business day whether their medications are available and if they can be legally sent to the patient’s resident state. When a patient’s medications are matched, they can be sent out as soon as the same day the rescue pharmacy receives the patient’s prescription – whether from a physician’s office or transferred from another pharmacy.
What kind of breast cancer medications are available through Medication Rescue?
Many breast cancer prescriptions are available in the form of a tablet or capsule, and many do not require refrigeration. Many are not controlled substances, and they are frequently dispensed from pharmacies in the manufacturer’s original packaging. That means many breast cancer prescriptions are eligible for donation – and when patients or their families find themselves with excess, they often donate the unused doses.
Some of the most commonly prescribed breast cancer medications available in RemediChain’s inventory include:
- Verzenio
- Ibrance
- Lynparza
- Tamoxifen
- Xeloda
When a patient receives medication from RemediChain, the drug is set aside for them as long as it’s available in inventory and as long as the patient needs it.
No matter what, every match is an opportunity for the patient to access treatment quickly and at no cost to them – whether it’s allowing them to access treatment while awaiting a prior authorization; offering proof of medical necessity amid an insurance denial and appeal process; providing treatment while the patient awaits manufacturer assistance; allowing for continuity of care after funds on a co-pay card have been exhausted prior to the end of the year; or any number of other situations.
Why are costly breast cancer prescriptions available from Medication Rescue programs?
Most of the time, donated medications are available for reasons outside the original patient’s control. At RemediChain, half of donations are available either because of a sudden treatment change or when a patient passed away prior to opening the medication. Other factors may include poor side effects or a multi-month fill after a prescription changed. Click here to learn more about why medications go unused.
Are these donated medications safe for patients to use?
Absolutely.
- Only unexpired medications sealed in the manufacturer’s original packaging are eligible for donation. The prescriptions are mint condition.
- Every donated medication at RemediChain goes through a 14-point safety inspection by a licensed pharmacist prior to being added to inventory. Open bottles, loose pills, medications with clear physical degradation, expired medications and others that don’t pass inspection are always sent for proper pharmaceutical disposal, never shared with patients.
- Medications are dispensed with valid prescriptions, just like any other pharmacy.
It’s personal to us.
RemediChain’s program coordinator, Liz Robinson, is often the first point of contact for navigators, providers, and patients themselves. And Liz is a breast cancer survivor, giving her an in-depth human understanding of the diagnosis. Learn more about Liz’s story here.
Ready to Donate Meds? Need Prescription Assistance?
If you have unused prescription medications used to treat breast cancer, they may be eligible for donation to help a patient in need. Click here to get started. The form takes just a few minutes to fill out.
If you or a loved one needs help to access breast cancer medications, click here to access RemediChain’s patient registration form. Insurance status has no bearing on a patient’s eligibility.
