Number of Floridians on AIDS drug waiting list increasing again

The waiting list to enroll in Florida’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program grew to more than 1,070 people by last Thursday, according to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.

AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, known as ADAP, are a nationwide payer of last resort for people who cannot afford their HIV/AIDS medications. They have been in a funding crisis since 2010, which prompted many states, including Florida, to implement cost containment measures such as waiting lists.

Nationwide, according to the State and Territorial AIDS Directors (.pdf), there are now more than 4,300 individuals in 12 states on AIDS Drug Assistance Program waiting lists.

The ADAP Crisis Task Force, convened by the Directors, announced Monday a “new discount/rebate and price freeze, available to all state ADAPs,” with ViiV Healthcare, a company focusing on HIV/AIDS treatment that was created by GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer in 2009.

http://floridaindependent.com/61594/hiv-aids-drugs-waiting-list