A patient may be prescribed many different medications before and after transplant. The cost of these medications can vary depending on his or her health insurance and prescription drug coverage. If you are having trouble covering your medications, or if you have concerns about future coverage, contact your Transplant Coordinator at your transplant center.

Generic vs. Brand Name Medication

Generic drugs are less expensive than brand name drugs, but sometimes your medical team will ask that you take brand name medication. If your insurance will only cover the generic version of a medication, you should contact your physician, pharmacist, or insurance company.

Patient Assistance Programs

Many prescription drug manufacturers offer patient assistance programs or discount cards, especially immunosuppressive medications. Some of these include:

• Abbott (Gengraf)
• Astellas (Prograf)
• Burroughs Welcome (Imuran and Zorvarax)
• Novartis (Cyclosporine and Neoral)
• Roche (Cellcept)

Medicare Extra Help

This program is available to individuals on Medicare, with limited resources and income, and residing in one of the 50 States or the District of Columbia. This program can help with the cost of prescriptions.

A list of potential post-transplant immunosuppressants, as well as information about each medication, can be found on UNOS’s post-transplant medications list.