Hotline gives financial help, AMD information

East Hanover, NJ-Novartis Ophthalmics is offering its Visudyne Access Network to help patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) get information about their disease.

The program offers a free patient education component called MySight, with a 24-hour, toll-free hotline featuring recorded tips about treatment. It also provides financial assistance to cover the Medicare co-pay or cost of the treatment through a Patient Assistance Program and Alternate Funding Solutions.

For physicians, the network provides a reimbursement hotline to answer questions regarding reimbursement of verteporfin for injection (Visudyne, Novartis Ophthalmics/QLT PhotoTherapeutics). It also offers medical information, product information, and express delivery of the drug through a toll-free hotline and distribution system.