Health
AIDS drug waiting lists nearly gone
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 28, 2008
The number of people served by the federally funded, state-run AIDS Drug Assistance Program hit an all-time high in 2007, but almost no one remained on the waiting lists, according to a report issued April 8 by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.
The 12th annual "National ADAP Monitoring Project Report" found that 146,000 were enrolled in the program nationally in 2007. Waiting lists practically disappeared because of increased state funding and pharmaceutical drug rebate programs. In March 2007, four states had 571 people on waiting lists. As of March 2008, only Montana had three people on lists.
The report also found that, although the number of people on ADAP rolls and the amount of money spent on medications has increased significantly over the past decade, this growth has slowed in recent years. The number of people participating in this program grew 226% from 1996 to 2007, but only 5% from June 2006 until June 2007. Drug spending grew 525% from 1996 to 2007 but only 6% from June 2006 to June 2007.
The report can be accessed at the Kaiser Family Foundation's Web site (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/04/28/hlbf0428.htm.
