Drug Topics - February 2009 - (Page 14)

CHARITABLE PHARMACY Up front In Depth Volunteers help free pharmacy in Kentucky expand CHRISTINE BLANK charitable pharmacy in rural Kentucky is expanding to include more pharmacist visits to low-income patients in local hospitals. Faith Community Pharmacy in Crescent Springs, Ky., already helps more than 3,000 underinsured and uninsured patients monthly with free prescriptions, but Rosana Aydt, pharmacy director, speaks with a patient there is a demand for expanded services in this area of Northern cists will conduct an interview to determine the patient’s medication history, Kentucky near Ohio. “You can drive 50 miles from here income, and medication needs. Medications needed are typically and people don’t have running water or electricity. Visitors have said they had those that treat diabetes and heart no idea there were poor people like this conditions, according to Aydt. The free in America,” said Rosana Aydt, RPh, di- pharmacy obtains some medications through grants for generic drugs and rector of Faith Community Pharmacy. With the help of volunteer pharma- some at cost from Richie Pharmacal, cists who donate time at the free phar- a wholesale company in Glasgow, Ky. macy twice a week, Aydt is expanding In addition, manufacturer AstraZeneca services to include hospital visits with donates some medications. Aydt, a pharmacist for independent patients who need help getting medications they will need after they are pharmacies and the Kroger supermarket chain for several years, first endischarged. “It is becoming apparent that [some countered the idea of a free pharmacy low-income] patients take the ambu- while she was on medical leave in the lance to the hospital, and don’t take late 1990s. She was undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer when medication after that,” Aydt said. In a newly established procedure, the concept was presented to her by when uninsured or underinsured pa- Vince Bessler, president of the Socitients are admitted to St. Elizabeth ety for St. Vincent DePaul in Crescent Medical Center in Edgewood, Ky., nurs- Springs. “Vince saw it work at St. Vines ask them, “Are you going to need cent DePaul in Baton Rouge, La., and help with your prescription medications wondered if we could make it work in when you are released?” When a pa- our diocese,” Aydt said. In 2000, after a visit to the Baton tient says yes, the hospital notiﬁes Aydt; either she or other volunteer pharma- Rouge pharmacy, Aydt petitioned the A Christine Blank is a writer based in Orlando, Fla. W W W.D R U GTO P I C S .C O M 14 DRUG TOPICS Februar y 2009 COURTESY FAITH COMMUNITY PHARMACY Kentucky Board of Pharmacy to allow physicians to dispense their pharmaceutical samples, a practice that was against board regulations at the time. In addition, Aydt set up Faith Community Pharmacy as a nonproﬁt organization and wrote grant proposals seeking support for the pharmacy to receive generic medications. After the pharmacy board agreed to allow physicians to dispense samples and a board of directors for the nonprofit organization was assembled, the free pharmacy opened its doors in 2002. Two local pharmacists offered to donate their time two days a week and have been with the free pharmacy ever since. Although the pharmacy is located in a warehouse donated by the St. Vincent DePaul Catholic church, it is not afﬁliated with any religious entity. As a result, Aydt recently changed the name from St. Vincent DePaul Community Pharmacy to Faith Community Pharmacy. Last year, the pharmacy helped approximately 739 patients and dispensed more than 23,000 prescriptions. “Each patient takes an average of five prescriptions, and each one costs right around $65,” Aydt said. In the future, she hopes, the free pharmacy will expand to provide prescriptions that treat mental illnesses. http://WWW.DRUGTOPICS.COM

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Drug Topics - February 2009 Contents Health-System Edition Group Attempts to Resurrect Pain Care Act HSE Business Management HSE Clinical Letters Up Front Up Front in Depth Community Practice Niche Pharmacies Serve Special Populations Special Report Oral Oncology Drugs New Drugs Update 2008 Approvals OTC New Products Viewpoint

Drug Topics - February 2009

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