Pfizer offers free drugs, Lipitor, Viagra, to unemployed

— -- The pharmaceutical giant said Thursday that it will distribute — for free — more than 70 of its medications to folks who meet certain criteria, including a job loss since Jan. 1 and the absence of prescription drug insurance.

Those who qualify will receive their Pfizer medicines free for up to a year, or until they get coverage again.

The program officially begins July 1 and will run through Dec. 31. Those who want to see if they qualify can call 866-706-2400. The application is on Pfizerhelpfulanswers.com.

Applicants must attest to financial hardship that hinders their ability to pay for medications. In addition, they must have taken one of the designated drugs for at least three months before becoming unemployed.

The drug list includes cholesterol-lowering medication Lipitor, antidepressant Zoloft and impotency treatment Viagra. Pfizer deems the free drugs — even the little blue pill — to be "primary care medicines."

Those meds are often prescribed for chronic conditions, says Jorge Puente, Pfizer's regional president of worldwide pharmaceuticals. They treat more common ailments that affect "a large segment of the population," he says.

Pfizer employees can voluntarily contribute money to the program, deemed "Maintain" for "Medicines Assistance for Those who Are in Need." The Pfizer Foundation will match their donations.

This endeavor could give the drug behemoth a bit of a brand boost, say marketing experts.

It'll add "a positive halo" to Pfizer's reputation, says Allen Adamson, a managing director at branding agency Landor Associates. "It's a tangible program that will help Americans."

It's also a way to sustain the satisfaction level of financially strapped customers, says Scott Morgan, president of ad agency Brunner, which has helped market pharmaceutical and over-the-counter medication.

"I look at this as a relationship marketing strategy," he says.