Featured Advertisers
• Snow Closings
Wed, Feb. 10  -   -  Mobile  -  RSS
YOUR TOWN:  Caroline | Culpeper | King George | Fredericksburg | Orange | Spotsylvania | Stafford | Westmoreland
  

Make a post about this story on FredTalk. Get a printer-friendly version of this page. E-mail this story to a friend.


Visit Jim Hall's blog: Rapid Assessment
Visit Janet Marshall's blog: In Moderation

Free medicine available to poor

The poor and uninsured can get help with their medicines through the Pharmacy Connection

Date published: 3/29/2009

BY JIM HALL

The poor and uninsured can get free medicines with the help of a program now based at the Caroline County Department of Social Services.

The Pharmacy Connection is open to any income-eligible resident in the region who is uninsured and needs help with long-term prescription drugs.

The program uses software created by the Virginia Health Care Foundation to connect needy patients with the nation's major drug companies, most of which offer free or reduced-price medicines.

More than 100 drug companies participate in the program, with more than 250 classes of medications available.

Each drug company has its own eligibility requirements and application. Pharmacy Connection software helps patients fill out the necessary paperwork.

Most of the participating drug companies require that patients have no other drug coverage. The medications are usually shipped to the patients' homes or their doctors' offices.

More than 165,000 people have participated in the program since its start in 1997. In Caroline, about 40 people have participated so far, said Lauren Spangler, medication assistance caseworker.

Interest in the program has increased in recent months because of the recession, said Deborah Oswalt, executive director of the Virginia Health Care Foundation.

Sponsoring organizations have contacted her agency for grant money to hire additional Pharmacy Connection workers.

"All of a sudden, they just are through the roof because of the need," she said.

The Fredericksburg area has about 45,000 uninsured people, according to the Richmond-based foundation.

Jim Hall: 540/374-5433
Email: jhall@freelancestar.com


To learn more about the Pharmacy Connection program in Caroline County, call Lauren Spangler at 804/633-5071, ext. 152. Other sites with the program include:

Westmoreland Medical Center, Montross; 804/493-9999

Community Health Center of the Rappahannock Region, Fredericksburg; 540/735-0560

Greater Prince William Community Health Center, Woodbridge; 703/680-7950

Fauquier Free Clinic, Warrenton; 540/347-0394

Free Clinic of Culpeper; 540/825-2252

Greater Works Community Development Corporation, Hanover County; 804-876-3460

Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services Board, Culpeper; 540/825-3100


Follow us on
twitter 		fredericksburg.com Facebook page


Read more stories about Fredericksburg
Date published: 3/29/2009


Most recent reader comments:

1 comment has been posted. (Sorted in reverse order, with most recent post at the top.)

Display comments on this page. | Sort:

PLEASE READ: These reader comments are not moderated. Each user is solely responsible for any message (s)he posts here. The Free Lance-Star does not endorse the views expressed within these comments. All users who post to this Web site must agree to the terms of the FredTalk User Agreement. We rely on our readers to police themselves, and report any content that violates our User Agreement. In accordance with our User Agreement, we reserve the right to remove any post at any time for any reason, and will restrict access of registered users who repeatedly violate our terms. Any reader can report inappropriate content by clicking the "Report this post to admins" link at the bottom of each comment. You need not be registered to report a post.

The insured people pay for this? (posted by MrZorro , Mar. 29, 2009 9:00 pm)   
The companies just increase the price per pill for the paying-customers, to cover the costs.

What do you think?
Enter your FredTalk username and password to post a comment on this story. If you are registered on FredTalk or another part of this site, use that login here. Otherwise, you can just REGISTER here... .

Posting guidelines

1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
2. Please avoid offensive, vulgar, abusive, hateful or defamatory language.
3. Agree to read & follow THE RULES.
4. Use the "report to admins" link for posts which violate the rules.

Username:
Password:

Post title:


Please keep it brief: (512-character limit)
Please make sure CAPS LOCK is off. Posts in ALL CAPS will be deleted.)


By checking this box, you agree to the terms of the FredTalk User agreement.





 




Copyright 2010, The Free Lance-Star Publishing Co. of Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA
Permissions - Privacy Policy - Send email to Support Staff - Send email to the News Team
To contact all other newspaper departments, please click here or call 540-374-5000.
To contact the Free Lance–Star please use the following numbers:
Main Switchboard: 540-374-5000, Advertising: 540-374-5460, Classifieds: 540-374-5001, Subscriber Services: 540-374-5002, Toll-free:800-877-0500