The national drug bus is coming to town and it's not only legal, it may save you some cash.

Utahns who are uninsured, have lost a job or are struggling financially and need prescription medication can find some help next week, as the "Help is Here Express" bus tour makes a stop at several cities and towns throughout the state.

Sponsored by American pharmaceutical companies through the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, the bus tour is designed to help residents in need find programs that provide prescription medications either free or at a greatly reduced cost.

Michael Gavura, the local contact for PPA, said the group's four-day tour through the Beehive State is in its fifth year, and representatives will be offering one-on-one interaction with clients who need help securing their prescription medication.

"We ask them to bring a pill bottle or a (current) prescription," he said, so officials can know what drug is needed and who prescribed it. Under certain circumstances, "if the drug is made by one of our (drug company) members and people qualify, they'll just start mailing it to their home."

Gavura said personnel on the bus will call up information about the drug and the prescription electronically via computer and look for an existing patient-assistance program that matches the client's needs with the program requirements. Some 475 programs for prescription drug assistance exist — more than half of them sponsored by pharmaceutical companies — but few people know how to qualify.

"The bus uplinks to the satellite, where they put in (the client's) information," Gavura said. "We're basically asking how can we help you and why do you need help?"

To date, the bus tour has helped more than 32,000 Utahns determine whether they may qualify for free or discounted medications. "That's good news for the citizens of Utah, where there are more than 71,000 people out of work."

Those who qualify will have access to more than 2,500 brand-name and generic prescription medicines. The bus tour also provides information on more than 10,000 free health care clinics nationwide, and has connected more than 277,000 patients with clinics and health care providers in their communities.

Residents seeking help from PPA can call a toll-free number (1-888-4-PPA-NOW) to talk to a trained operator or access the PPA Web site (www.pparx.org). Officials said it only takes 10 to 15 minutes to find out if someone may qualify for free or discounted medications.

The bus tour visits all 50 states and more than 2,500 towns and cities. More than 5.7 million patients have been helped nationwide since the PPA began in April 2005.