Some health care analysts have criticized patient assistance programs (PAPs) as a cause of growth in prescription drug spending and overall health care costs. The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has published a position statement to address this issue and explain the essential function of charitable assistance programs for patients with rare diseases. Specifically, NORD’s position is that PAPs do not inflate the cost of treatment and that they ensure patient access to lifesaving therapies. Read NORD’s position paper.