NATCHEZ &045; The largest ever private program to help patients get the prescription drugs they need has moved into Mississippi with promising success, a spokeswoman for the group said.

&uot;Already over 10,000 in Mississippi have signed up for the program, and we’re still matching people up,&uot; said Stephanie Davis, outreach coordinator for Partnership for Prescription Assistance, based in Atlanta.

The coalition of pharmaceutical companies, physicians, civic groups and health care advocates moved into Mississippi in April, Davis said.

&uot;We launched nationally last year, and this year began to move into individual states,&uot; she said. &uot;We wanted to focus on the states with the most immediate needs, and Mississippi was one of those.&uot;

Indeed, with recent cuts in Medicaid eligibility for prescription drugs and with one out of every four in the state dependent on Medicaid, thousands of patients were facing choices between household necessities and the medicines prescribed by their physicians.

Those who may be eligible for the program include children, elderly patients, working people, the unemployed, students and families, among others, Davis said.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance is a product of the pharmaceutical industry, Davis said. &uot;This is a point of entry for all the programs that are available out there. This program has made it easier to find and access the right one.&uot;

More than 275 public and private programs already exist to assist people with prescription costs, including 150 provided through drug companies. Those who enroll with Partnership for Prescription Assistance will be matched with the right program.

The way it works is this: Those seeking assistance may call toll free to 1-888-477-2669 or go to a Web site, www.pparx.org, and a trained specialist will be on the line or monitoring the Web site to assist. Callers should have the names of their medicines in front of them when they make this contact.

More than 1,200 brand name medicines, as well as many generic medicines, are included in the program, and they are free or nearly free to the eligible patient. The specialist will assist the patient in determining eligibility and in connecting to the right program.

The need for assistance with prescriptions has been obvious at First Presbyterian Church in Natchez, where a fund is established to assist local needy patients with prescription drug costs.

&uot;The need is definitely out there,&uot; said Pam McNeil, who oversees the prescription assistance program at First Presbyterian. The church program alone has assisted more than 100 so far this year.

More than 50 national organizations joined the drug companies to launch the new program. In Mississippi, some of the partners are the Jackson Medical Mall, Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi Society of Oncology and the Mississippi State Medical Association, among others.

In Natchez, the United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou announced Sunday its affiliation with the program. The United Way will host a reception today in celebration of the partnership, 5 to 7 p.m., at the Comfort Suites Riverfront in Vidalia, La.

Dr. Mary E. Frank, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, in a written statement said the partnership has the potential to reach millions who have no prescription coverage.

&uot;Millions of Americans already benefit from patient assistance programs, but we know that millions more who may be eligible have not yet enrolled,&uot; Frank said.