Patient Assistance Program

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

The Forsyth County Pharmacy actively works to offset medication prescription costs through the Patient Assistance Program by offering free mediations to persons in need. In partnership with CenterPoint Human Services, an agency which manages Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services in Forsyth County, the PAP began formally in 2006 and has increased its free medication distribution each year. Program operation is made possible with four full-time Forsyth County Pharmacy staff, and one full-time and one part-time CenterPoint Human Services staff who work together with patients to fill prescriptions on a daily basis. CenterPoint receives annual funding from Forsyth County for the provision of mental health services and the county funds CenterPoint’s PAP employees. The PAP utilizes free medication samples from pharmaceutical representatives and calls upon medication assistance programs offered by most major pharmaceutical companies to stock approximately 30 popular medications. County-funded staff distributes free medications through the pharmacy as approved by a physician, while CenterPoint employees help persons by electronically creating and submitting free medication assistance applications and submitting them to participating pharmaceutical companies. Once an electronic application is created, it is stored for future use making it much easier for a person in need to refill a prescription through the pharmacy, thus increasing access to free medications and reducing staff time and cost. In 2008, the total value of free pharmaceuticals distributed to persons in need exceeded $2.2 million.