INDIANAPOLIS (March 9, 2006) ? Governor Mitch Daniels celebrated the one-year mark of the Rx for Indiana program which has already matched more than 117,000 Hoosiers with programs providing prescription drug assistance. That figure is above the program?s initial outreach goal of 100,000 Hoosiers. At a State House event today, the governor recognized the many partner organizations and volunteers making this program a success.

?When we launched Rx for Indiana, we knew it wouldn?t be successful without the aggressive support of dozens of partner organizations, and hundreds of volunteers,? Daniels said. ?This has been a great year, but we will continue to reach out to the thousands of Hoosiers who can and will benefit from this program and the millions of additional dollars that will be saved.?

Rx for Indiana provides a one-stop shop for patients, health care providers, and caregivers to obtain information about more than 2,500 medications available free or at a significantly reduced price through more than 475 programs offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers, the government and other organizations.

Through the Rx for Indiana Web site and toll-free number, more than 148,000 searches have been performed since March 2005. From those, more than 117,000 ? 79 percent ? were initially matched to a program.

Rx for Indiana has nearly 70 partner organizations committed to educating Hoosiers about prescription assistance programs. One such partner, Project Health, a program of the Indianapolis Medical Society Foundation, has been reaching out to central Indiana residents.

Carrie Jackson, director of Project Health, said, ?We joined this effort because we saw a real need to reach out to low-income Hoosiers and help them pay for their prescriptions. As we continue to reach out to Hoosiers, we?ll help even more people who need help paying for their prescription medications.?

Millions of dollars have already been saved by Hoosiers through Rx for Indiana. Last April, Hallie Day enrolled in Rx for Indiana and now pays $100 per year for medications that would have otherwise cost her more than $21,000.

In April 2005 the national Partnership for Prescription Assistance program launched across the country. As one of the state programs, Rx for Indiana can now assist callers in more than 150 different languages.

Lorraine Guillen-Wentz, a bilingual business specialist with WorkOne Northwest, another Rx for Indiana partner organization, has helped reach out to the Hispanic population in northwestern Indiana. ?One of the greatest aspects of this program is that people of all ethnicities are given access to the information,? Guillen-Wentz said. ?The response from the Hispanic community in northwest Indiana has been phenomenal.?

Rx for Indiana is a clearinghouse of prescription assistance programs developed by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Nearly 70 partner organizations are working to help Hoosiers find help with their prescription medication costs through Rx for Indiana. Web site: www.RxforIndiana.org. Toll-free number: 1-877-793-0765.