Medicine for the Uninsured: Building a Pharmacy Network for Patients without Insurance

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

In an effort to provide comprehensive pharmaceutical access for uninsured, low income residents of Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) created a wrap-around retail and 340B pharmacy network for participants enrolled in the My Health LA program. The pharmacy network is made up of retail pharmacies for generic medications, HRSA- approved 340B contract pharmacies for specialty and higher-cost medications, and convenient on-site dispensaries and pharmacies housed at the patient’s medical home clinic. This project leverages the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program to provide outpatient drugs to eligible uninsured patients at significantly reduced costs in partnership with the County’s network of Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHCs). The benefits of providing medications through this retail/340B pharmacy network include: 1) expanded 24/7 access to medically necessary medications for the residually uninsured population through an extensive, County-wide retail and 340B pharmacy network, 2) pharmacist prospective reviews of patient medication therapies, 3) patient compliance with an approved medication formulary, 4) availability of accurate and up-to-date pharmaceutical data for the residually uninsured population and 5) the establishment of a low-cost prescription drug distribution mechanism for the uninsured in compliance with State and Federal regulations.