Prescription program adds up savings
Nineteen hospitals and health clinics using the state’s Medication Bridge program have reached or surpassed the million-dollar mark in prescription cost savings for low-income patients, according to program officials.
The New Hampshire Medication Bridge Program is a private-public partnership of organizations under the leadership of the Foundation for Healthy Communities. Its goal is to help the uninsured and underinsured of all ages to have access to prescription medications from pharmaceutical companies. This goal is achieved through effective use of existing prescription assistance programs offered by pharmaceutical companies.
“Medication Bridge has helped publicize the availability of those programs and reduced the administrative hassle associated with applying for assistance,” said Bernie Cameron, program coordinator.
Since the program started keeping records in January 2001, Medication Bridge has served 16,000 clients across the state with more than $70 million worth of prescriptions, said Cameron. About 55 percent of those eligible patients are under 65 years old.
The 19 Medication Bridge sites welcomed into the “Million Dollar Club” are:
• Ammonoosuc Community Health Center
• Cheshire Medical Center
• Concord Hospital
• Coos County Family Health Center
• Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic, Concord
• Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic, Manchester
• Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
• Frisbie Memorial Hospital
• Huggins Hospital
• LRGHealthcare
• Manchester Community Health Center
• Meds for Manchester/Nashua Meds
• Monadnock Community Hospital
• Newport Health Center/Associates in Medicine
• Pittsfield Medical Center
• Portsmouth Regional Hospital
• SeaCare Health Services
• Weeks Medical Center
• Wentworth-Douglass Hospital.
All told, more than 60 provider sites are trained to help patients in need apply for free medications. The Foundation for Healthy Communities’ Web site also offers people the same help with its on-line application system.
For more information, visit healthy NH.com.
