Drug company, clinic offer prescription medicine free

VIRGINIA BEACH

A pharmaceutical company is partnering with a Virginia Beach clinic to provide free prescription drugs to people who can't afford to buy them.

AstraZeneca - an international drug company - is giving the medications to Beach Health Clinic and nine other clinics across the state.

There are other free prescription programs for the uninsured, but many operate on a mail-order basis, so patients have to fill out applications, mail them in and wait for the drugs to arrive.

Although the Beach Health Clinic and drug company announced their partnership Wednesday, the clinic started receiving the prescription drugs in August. Susan Hellstrom, the clinic's executive director, said the AZ&Me program has saved patients time, allowed for more consistency in care and reduced paperwork.

The prescriptions "have flown off the shelves," she said. There are some medications that have not been available under other programs, such as medicines for heartburn, high cholesterol and heart problems.

Hellstrom said many of their patients go without their medications to save money.

"That's the thing about free clinics, you can get them a visit with a doctor, but if they can't get the medicine, what's the point?" Hellstrom said.

She said the clinic sometimes gives patients free samples but would have to change medications depending on what was on hand.

AZ&Me is not the only clinic-based free drug program in the state.

There's also RxPartnership, a nonprofit initiative created in 2002. That organization solicits medications in bulk from a range of drug companies and distributes them to pharmacies of free clinics and community health centers across Virginia.

AstraZeneca's clinic-based program is available to nonprofits with licensed pharmacies. There are 137 free clinics, community health centers, hospitals and other facilities participating across the country. The program has partnered with some in Virginia since 2000. A Richmond clinic - Cross Over Ministry - came aboard at the same time as the Beach facility.

Other Virginia facilities in the program are in the northern part of the state, Roanoke, Harrisonburg and New Canton.

Patients are eligible if they lack prescription drug coverage and have a household income at or below $30,000 for an individual or $60,000 for a family of four.

Hellstrom said all of Beach Health Clinic's patients are eligible. The clinic serves Virginia Beach residents who are uninsured and who earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

That's about $41,300 a year for a family of four.

Jennifer McGovern, who manages the AZ&Me program for AstraZeneca, said the clinic-based idea has been well-received because it helps reinforce the idea of maintaining a medical home.

"They're able to get the medications at that facility, which helps with the long-term care of their health," McGovern said.

Elizabeth Simpson, (757) 446-2635, elizabeth.simpson@pilotonline.com