Patient Support and Access Programs in India: A Practical Guide for Patients and Families
Start here: is your medicine sold in India?
Families often begin by searching for "free medicine schemes" and end up with a long list that does not apply to them. It saves weeks to settle one question first. A company can only run an Indian assistance program for a medicine it sells in India. If the medicine has not been approved here, there is no Indian program to join, however expensive the treatment is.
There are three simple ways to check:
- Ask your doctor or the hospital pharmacy whether they can order the brand locally.
- Search the medicine's generic name on CDSCO's list of approved new drugs [8].
- Look for the brand on the company's Indian website, or ask its local office.
| What you find | Where to look for help |
|---|---|
| Sold in India, but the price is the problem | The company's PAP, then government funds and charities |
| Approved abroad, not sold in India | Named patient import on Form 12A and 12B, plus funds and charities for the cost |
| Not approved anywhere yet, still in trials | A compassionate use or managed access program, or a clinical trial |
| A rare disease on the national list | Registration at a Centre of Excellence for Rare Diseases |
Support, assistance and access: what each one means
These terms are used loosely, even by companies. Knowing the difference helps you ask for the right thing.
Patient support program (PSP). Practical help during treatment. For example, a coordinator calls two days before an infusion, a nurse visits to give an injection, or a dietitian helps with weight loss during chemotherapy. It rarely changes what you pay.
Patient assistance program (PAP). Help with the price. This can be a discount, a cost-sharing plan, or extra doses at no charge once a set number has been bought. There is usually an income check.
Access program. Help when the medicine is not on sale in the country at all. Compassionate use and managed access programs belong here. So does a named patient program, in which the medicine is brought in for one patient on that patient's own prescription.
Company programs for medicines sold in India
Many companies that sell cancer, rare disease or biologic medicines in India run such a program. Each one covers only that company's brands, and the terms differ from brand to brand. The company may run it directly or hand it to an outside agency, so the person you speak to may not be a company employee.
Roche's Blue Tree programme is one well-documented example. Roche started it in India in 2015 for patients on its cancer medicines and says it is open to anyone, whatever they can pay. It covers information in nine languages, biomarker tests at no cost for patients who cannot afford them, help in finding government or charity funding, and reminders before each dose. Roche reported that it had supported more than 7,000 patients by the end of 2020 [7]. NPP has no link with this or any other company's program.
Questions to ask the company or its program desk
- Does the program cover my brand and strength, and my diagnosis?
- Is there an income limit? Which proof of income do you accept?
- Do I have to buy a fixed number of doses before any help starts?
- Does the hospital or doctor apply, or can my family start it?
- How long does approval take, and how often must I renew?
- If my treatment stops or changes, what happens to doses I have not used?
Write down the name of the person you speak to and the date. Programs change their terms, and a note helps if you are told something different later.
When the medicine is not sold in India
This is the situation NPP deals with every day. A doctor reads about a medicine approved by the US FDA or the European Medicines Agency, and it is the right choice for the patient, but it cannot be bought here. Indian assistance programs do not cover it. Two legal routes remain.
Named patient import on Form 12A and Form 12B
Under Rule 36 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, a patient may import a prescribed medicine for personal use. The patient applies to CDSCO on Form 12A, and CDSCO issues a Form 12B permit. One permit normally covers up to 100 average doses and is valid for six months [1]. Our Form 12A and 12B guide covers each step.
Under this route the medicine is bought at its normal price. Cost help then has to come from a government fund, a charity, insurance or crowdfunding, so it is worth starting those applications at the same time as the import.
Compassionate use and managed access
The European Medicines Agency describes compassionate use as making an unauthorised medicine available, under strict conditions, to patients with a serious illness that approved medicines cannot treat well and who cannot join a clinical trial [2]. Managed access and early access programs are similar. The company decides who receives the medicine, the request comes from the treating doctor, and the medicine may be free, sold at cost, or sold at full price.
Not every company opens such a program, and not every program includes India. If your doctor thinks a medicine still in trials could help, ask them to contact the company directly. It is also worth checking India's Clinical Trials Registry for a trial that is recruiting [9].
Government help with treatment costs
National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021
Patients with any of the 63 rare diseases listed under the policy can get up to ₹50 lakh in support. The money is released to a Centre of Excellence for Rare Diseases, not to the family, so the patient is registered and treated there [3]. There were 15 such centres as of February 2026 [4]. If the medicine you need is imported, ask the centre early whether it can be bought under the policy.
Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund
This fund sits under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi umbrella scheme and helps cancer patients from families below the poverty line. Help is usually up to ₹5 lakh, with ₹15 lakh as the highest amount allowed. Treatment has to be at one of 27 Regional Cancer Centres, each of which holds a revolving fund of ₹50 lakh [5].
State schemes
Most states have their own health or cancer schemes, and the rules differ widely. The social worker or scheme desk at a government hospital is the quickest way to find out which ones you qualify for.
Charities and crowdfunding
The Indian Cancer Society's Cancer Cure Fund helps families earning up to ₹4 lakh a year. It pays for chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and supportive care, up to ₹5 lakh per patient, or ₹8 lakh for a bone marrow transplant. Treatment must be at one of its partner hospitals, which include Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute in Delhi and CMC Vellore [6]. Disease-specific patient groups and crowdfunding platforms can fill smaller gaps. Read their fees and conditions before you sign up.
A step-by-step plan
Get the prescription right
Generic and brand name, dose, quantity, duration and the doctor's registration number.
Check where it is sold
In India or only abroad. This decides which route applies.
Apply in parallel
Company program or import, plus government funds and charities together.
Track and renew
Note every approval date and renewal date, and keep copies of everything.
Papers to keep ready
Each program has its own list, but these come up again and again. Getting them ready before you apply anywhere will save time.
| Paper | Why it is asked for | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Prescription | Confirms the medicine, dose and quantity | Check it shows the doctor's registration number. See our prescription guidelines |
| Diagnosis reports | Show that the patient fits the program's medical criteria | Include biopsy, pathology and biomarker reports where relevant |
| Patient ID | Identity check | Make sure the name matches the prescription exactly |
| Income proof | For income-tested programs and funds | Use a current income certificate or BPL card |
| Hospital estimate | Shows the total cost of treatment | Ask for it on hospital letterhead |
Why applications get stuck, and what to do
- The prescription is incomplete. Quantity, duration or the registration number is missing. Ask the doctor to rewrite it before you send anything.
- The patient is treated at the wrong hospital. Some schemes pay only at listed centres. Check the list before treatment starts, not after.
- The income proof is old or does not match. Get a fresh certificate in the patient's or family head's name.
- The program has closed or changed. Ask the company or fund for the current terms in writing.
- The medicine is not sold in India. No Indian PAP will cover it. Move to a named patient import and look for cost help from funds and charities.
Be careful with anyone who asks for money to "get you into" a program. Real programs are run through the company's own desk, the hospital or a government office.
How NPP helps
NPP does not run a patient assistance program and does not give out free medicines. We work on access, for medicines that are not available in India. A registered pharmacist reviews the prescription and reports, prepares the Form 12A application in the patient's name, and buys the medicine from authorised channels once the Form 12B permit is issued. It is shipped under its label storage conditions, including 2°C to 8°C cold chain, and delivered to the patient or the treating hospital. If a fund or charity needs a cost estimate for the imported medicine, we can share one in writing.
You can browse imported medicines by area, for example oncology, hematology and rare disease.
Is your medicine not available in India?
Send us the prescription. We will tell you whether a named patient import is possible and what papers it needs.
Patient support programs: questions patients ask
What is the difference between a PSP and a PAP?
A PSP helps you during treatment, through things like nurse visits, reminders and counselling. A PAP helps with the price of the medicine. Some companies offer both under one program name.
Can my family apply for a PAP without the doctor?
Usually not. The company needs the treating doctor to confirm the diagnosis and prescription, so the doctor or hospital starts the request. The family collects the papers and signs the forms.
Is there a patient assistance program for an imported medicine?
Indian PAPs cover medicines sold in India. For a medicine that is not sold here, the usual routes are a named patient import on Form 12A and 12B, or a compassionate use program if the company runs one that includes India.
Can I use a government fund and a company program together?
Often you can apply to more than one, but each fund sets its own rules on combining help. Tell each one about the others, and ask before you assume.
Does the ₹50 lakh rare disease support work at any hospital?
No. The money goes to a Centre of Excellence for Rare Diseases, and the patient has to be registered and treated at one of these centres.
Does NPP give free medicines or discounts through a PAP?
No. NPP helps you get a prescribed medicine that is not available in India, legally and in good condition. Help with the cost comes from the company, the government, a charity or insurance.
References
- CDSCO. Procedure for permission to import small quantities of drugs for personal use. cdsco.gov.in
- European Medicines Agency. Compassionate use. ema.europa.eu
- All India Radio News. Govt to provide ₹50 lakh aid for rare disease treatment under National Policy (Lok Sabha written reply), 7 February 2025. newsonair.gov.in
- ThePrint (PTI). Number of Centres of Excellence for rare diseases increased from 8 to 15 (Lok Sabha written reply), 6 February 2026. theprint.in
- Press Information Bureau. Factsheet on cancer care, 13 February 2025. pib.gov.in
- Indian Cancer Society. Cancer Cure Fund. indiancancersociety.org
- Roche. Cancer care in India: The Blue Tree. roche.com
- CDSCO. Approved New Drugs. cdsco.gov.in
- Clinical Trials Registry – India (ICMR). ctri.nic.in
This page gives general information only. It is not medical, legal or financial advice. Program rules, amounts and eligibility change over time, so confirm them with the program, the hospital or the government office before you apply. Always follow your treating doctor's advice.