Rx Partnership Changes its Eligibility Criteria – Increasing the Number of Patients Able to Receive Medications for Chronic Conditions

Richmond, VA – (January 30, 2016) Rx Partnership, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to accessing free medications for the uninsured, recently announced an increase in the financial eligibility criteria for patients receiving medication from affiliated free clinics from 200% of federal poverty level (FPL) to 250% of FPL.  This change will allow more uninsured Virginians to access the medications they so desperately need.

Rx Partnership coordinates the donation of bulk medications from pharmaceutical manufacturers to 20 affiliate free clinics with licensed pharmacies across the state.  According to Amy Yarcich, executive director of Rx Partnership, the nonprofit organization has dispensed approximately $150.9 million of free prescriptions for 68,702 low-income, uninsured patients since its inception in 2003.

“This increase in eligibility will help more low-income Virginians have affordable access to otherwise costly medications to control chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, high-cholesterol and asthma,” said Yarcich. “Being able to access medication is the first step in staying adherent to a medication schedule  – and that helps prevent absenteeism at work, worsening of medical conditions and costly emergency room visits.”  The lack of medication adherence is estimated to cost the United States’ health system an additional $290 billion annually.

“Rx Partnership is proud to support Virginia’s health safety net by providing education and access to medication that results in improved health outcomes for patients, cost savings for clinics and an overall reduction in healthcare costs,” Yarcich said. For more information about Rx Partnership, visit www.rxpartnership.org

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