Rx Partnership Awarded Grant from the Williamsburg Community Foundation to Support Medication Access Locally at Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center
Recognizing the increasing difficulty uninsured, low-income patients have affording generic medications to treat their chronic conditions, Rx Partnership created a new, innovative program that focuses on dispensing generic medications to patients at Virginia free clinics and health centers.
Williamsburg, VA, April 25, 2018 --(PR.com)-- Rx Partnership, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to supporting access to medications for uninsured Virginians, was recently awarded a grant from the Williamsburg Community Foundation to support a new program that focuses on helping patients at free clinics and community health centers receive free or low-cost generic medication to treat a variety of chronic conditions. Rx Partnership’s Access to Medication Program (AMP) centralizes pharmacy services to reduce cost and create efficiency, allowing more uninsured Virginians to access the medications they so desperately need.
“Rx Partnership created AMP to alleviate the financial burden that generic medications can create for both clinics and patients,” said Amy Yarcich, executive director of Rx Partnership. “Currently, either a clinic bears the cost of the prescriptions for patients, which impacts the clinic’s ability to provide other needed medical services, or patients are faced with choosing between filling their prescriptions and managing their bills like rent, utilities or purchasing food. This choice for patients can result in risky behaviors such as splitting pills or skipping doses which can lead to costly emergency room visits.”
The financial grant provided by the Williamsburg Community Foundation helps support access to over 1,300 prescriptions for approximately 450 patients in the Williamsburg area. By providing access to the most-needed generic drugs, Rx Partnership aims to reduce the facilities’ overall spend on medication, increase the fill rate for patients and, ultimately, improve health outcomes for people who cannot afford the rising costs of medications to manage chronic conditions.
"We are excited to be a part of this new program to provide generic medications at no cost to our patients,” said Kendra Robinson, MSN, RN, CDE, and clinic director at Old Towne Medical Center. “We are hopeful that the success of this venture will have a positive impact on our patients, their families and the community at large.” Since starting this program, Olde Towne Medical has seen their patient medication pick-up rate increase to 97%.
AMP started as a phased program and now has six sites across Virginia: Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center in Williamsburg, Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic in Fredericksburg, Mel Leaman Free Clinic at Emory & Henry College in Marion, Fauquier Free Clinic, Ledwith Lewis Free Clinic in Tappahannock and St. Luke Community Clinic in Front Royal.
About Rx Partnership
Founded in 2003, Rx Partnership is an innovative public/private partnership created to increase access to free prescription medications for Virginia’s vulnerable populations by obtaining donated medications in bulk from pharmaceutical companies and arranging for distribution directly to nonprofit, licensed affiliate pharmacies that it credentials and monitors. Since the organization’s inception, more than 75,000 patients have received medications valued at over $175 million as a result of the Rx Partnership’s relationship with five pharmaceutical manufacturers and 20 Affiliate Clinics. Rx Partnership launched a new program in April 2017 called the Access to Medication Program (AMP) to address the current challenges of procuring generic medications for low-income, uninsured patients. For more information, visit www.RxPartnership.org.
About Williamsburg Community Foundation
Established in 1999, the Williamsburg Community Foundation is a collection of gifts from generous local citizens, mostly invested in long-term endowment funds, which will benefit the community forever. Each fund provides grant-making dollars for community needs. Over the past 19 years, the Foundation has distributed $6.1 million for grants and scholarships combined. The Foundation serves as a philanthropic center with the mission of connecting people who care with causes that matter forever. Local residents can make a contribution to the Foundation’s Community Endowment, and trust that their gift will be combined with others, invested wisely, and continually generate income over time that will be a source of support for local nonprofits in the long-term. The Foundation is governed by a board of trustees who are members of the Williamsburg community, and grants are made through a competitive process that responds to the changing needs of our area.
“Rx Partnership created AMP to alleviate the financial burden that generic medications can create for both clinics and patients,” said Amy Yarcich, executive director of Rx Partnership. “Currently, either a clinic bears the cost of the prescriptions for patients, which impacts the clinic’s ability to provide other needed medical services, or patients are faced with choosing between filling their prescriptions and managing their bills like rent, utilities or purchasing food. This choice for patients can result in risky behaviors such as splitting pills or skipping doses which can lead to costly emergency room visits.”
The financial grant provided by the Williamsburg Community Foundation helps support access to over 1,300 prescriptions for approximately 450 patients in the Williamsburg area. By providing access to the most-needed generic drugs, Rx Partnership aims to reduce the facilities’ overall spend on medication, increase the fill rate for patients and, ultimately, improve health outcomes for people who cannot afford the rising costs of medications to manage chronic conditions.
"We are excited to be a part of this new program to provide generic medications at no cost to our patients,” said Kendra Robinson, MSN, RN, CDE, and clinic director at Old Towne Medical Center. “We are hopeful that the success of this venture will have a positive impact on our patients, their families and the community at large.” Since starting this program, Olde Towne Medical has seen their patient medication pick-up rate increase to 97%.
AMP started as a phased program and now has six sites across Virginia: Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center in Williamsburg, Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic in Fredericksburg, Mel Leaman Free Clinic at Emory & Henry College in Marion, Fauquier Free Clinic, Ledwith Lewis Free Clinic in Tappahannock and St. Luke Community Clinic in Front Royal.
About Rx Partnership
Founded in 2003, Rx Partnership is an innovative public/private partnership created to increase access to free prescription medications for Virginia’s vulnerable populations by obtaining donated medications in bulk from pharmaceutical companies and arranging for distribution directly to nonprofit, licensed affiliate pharmacies that it credentials and monitors. Since the organization’s inception, more than 75,000 patients have received medications valued at over $175 million as a result of the Rx Partnership’s relationship with five pharmaceutical manufacturers and 20 Affiliate Clinics. Rx Partnership launched a new program in April 2017 called the Access to Medication Program (AMP) to address the current challenges of procuring generic medications for low-income, uninsured patients. For more information, visit www.RxPartnership.org.
About Williamsburg Community Foundation
Established in 1999, the Williamsburg Community Foundation is a collection of gifts from generous local citizens, mostly invested in long-term endowment funds, which will benefit the community forever. Each fund provides grant-making dollars for community needs. Over the past 19 years, the Foundation has distributed $6.1 million for grants and scholarships combined. The Foundation serves as a philanthropic center with the mission of connecting people who care with causes that matter forever. Local residents can make a contribution to the Foundation’s Community Endowment, and trust that their gift will be combined with others, invested wisely, and continually generate income over time that will be a source of support for local nonprofits in the long-term. The Foundation is governed by a board of trustees who are members of the Williamsburg community, and grants are made through a competitive process that responds to the changing needs of our area.
Contact
Rx Partnership
Jessica Ramirez
804-297-3172
www.rxpartnership.org
Jessica Ramirez
804-297-3172
www.rxpartnership.org
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