Client News

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHARITABLE PHARMACY ANNOUNCES MAJOR MILESTONE: $5.1 MILLION IN PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION DISPENSED
February 17, 2010

 

Serving a Four County Area, Majority of Clients Served Suffer From Chronic Illness, Have No Prescription or Healthcare Coverage

CINCINNATI, OH –February 17, 2010- Following a record year of service, the St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy announced that it has surpassed $5.1 million worth of medication dispensed to local people in need since opening in September 2006. Requests for help at the Charitable Pharmacy have escalated over the past year, as the poor economy has resulted in a loss of jobs and health insurance.

The St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy is the only pharmacy in southwest Ohio dedicated to providing free pharmaceutical care to people in need in Hamilton, Clermont, Warren and Butler counties. Those helped are carefully screened and include the homeless, people who have lost their jobs and the working poor who cannot afford prescription insurance or pharmacy co-pays.  Others need temporary assistance as they try to get coverage, qualify for other assistance programs or reach a gap in Medicare coverage.

“There are more than 270,000 people in Greater Cincinnati without health insurance.  One out of every 10 households locally has a family member who forgoes prescription medication in order to afford food, clothing or housing,” noted Liz Carter, Executive Director, Society of St. Vincent de Paul. “We see individuals from every corner of our community who are suffering from illnesses but have no way to afford medication. Our pharmacy is a last resort for them.”

Almost all the medication at the Charitable Pharmacy is donated through partnerships with twenty private physician’s practices, Skilled Care, KeySource Medical, the Ohio Drug Repository Program, Astra Zeneca and Novartis.

The SVDP Charitable Pharmacy was created in partnership with Leadership Cincinnati and the Academy of Medicine of Greater Cincinnati. Supporters and collaborators have included the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy, the UC College of Pharmacy, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Robert T. Keeler Foundation, the Order of Malta, and many other individuals and private foundations.

In 2010 alone, the Charitable Pharmacy is expected to fill more than 25,000 prescriptions valued at over $2 million.

The Charitable Pharmacy is in need of financial donations, donations of sample medication from physician offices and pharmaceuticals from long-term care pharmacies. At this time, Lantus and Levemir Insulin are particular needs.  Pharmacists willing to volunteer their time are also needed. For more information or to get involved, contact Mike Espel, R. Ph., St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy, at (513) 562-8841, ext. #264. Donations will also be accepted on-line at www.SVDPcincinnati.org.

About St. Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) has been helping Greater Cincinnati and Hamilton County residents in need with the basic necessities of life for 140 years. The organization works personally with those in need, regardless of race or creed, to bridge the spiritual, emotional and material gaps in their lives through home visits provided by neighborhood-based volunteer groups, and groundbreaking initiatives like the Charitable Pharmacy. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul continues to be a leading community service organization, recently recognized by The Better Business Bureau (BBB) as a Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics winner and by The CincinnatiUSA Regional Chamber of Commerce as Non-Profit of the Year. For more information, go to www.SVDPcincinnati.org.