The Common Patient Assistance Program Application (CPAPA), announced by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at the International AIDS Conference in July, went into effect on September 12 and is now available at hab.hrsa.gov/patientassistance/index.html.

This single common application allows uninsured individuals living with HIV and/or their providers/caregivers to use one application to apply for multiple patient assistance programs (PAPs).

HHS, working collaboratively with the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) through a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources & Services Administration's (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau, seven pharmaceutical companies, and key community stakeholders, took the lead in developing the application form. The form collects the necessary information required by all seven companies' PAPs. Company PAPs that will now accept the common application form include: Abbott Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Therapeutics), Merck, and ViiV Healthcare.

For more information about the common PAP application form. Contact Murray Penner, NASTAD's Deputy Executive Director, at mpenner@NASTAD.org.