ST. VINCENT de PAUL COMMUNITY PHARMACY
Community Pharmacy Combats High Cost of Drugs
Dispenses Free Meds to Elderly
By Susan Washburn, (Courtesy Sun-Sentinel.com)
More and more wonderful drugs enter the market place each month, each helping to improve the quality of our lives by reducing our pain or alleviating symptoms. They are made available, however, only after years of research and testing — which costs the drug companies dearly. That cost has translated to the cost the consumer must pay for not only the new wonder drugs, but even for the tried-and-true prescription drugs common to many.
Here are some facts:
- In 1998, Americans spent over $100 billion on prescription drugs.
- The national average prescription spending per Medicare member
is $1,260. - The pharmacy industry spent $1.2 billion on advertising in 1998, compared to $595 million in all of 1996.
- Adults aged 25 to 44 have, on average, two to three prescriptions filled per year. But people 65 and older typically have 9 or 12 prescriptions filled each year.
- The number of pharmaceutical sales representatives grew 39 percent from 1997 to 1998 — up to 57,000 in late 1998.
- The number of prescriptions filled in the U.S. grew by 40 percent between 1992 and 1998.
Cost Spiral Upward
What all these facts and figures actually mean is that many Americans simply can not afford to have their prescriptions filled or take the correct dosage at the frequency prescribed. The increased cost of drugs affects the elderly population the most, not only because they take more drugs, but because the drugs they take are costlier. The 39 million Americans on Medicare have pharmacy costs that run three to four times those of middle aged adults and ten times that of children. Even those with insurance find co-pay amounts of $7 to $10 difficult considering the number of prescriptions they have.
Candidates Offer Plans
Our presidential candidates are well aware of the problem of increasing drug costs. They have plans to combat the problem which range from adding a prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program, with an additional premium, to helping only the poor at first and then providing seniors on Medicare some coverage options in the future.
But what are seniors to do until our new president and Congress come up with a viable solution?
Volunteer Pharmacy Helps Elderly
Residents of Port Charlotte, in Southwest Florida, have already found a solution, thanks to Punta Gorda resident Tom Ferrara, 71, who runs a different kind of pharmacy. The St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy is a volunteer-run, nonprofit pharmacy, which supplies prescription drugs to people who can not afford them. Local residents in need, must have their income and expenses documented, and not everyone who applies qualifies.
“I am retired now after many years as a senior executive with the government in Washington, DC,” explained Ferrara. “I had heard about the St. Vincent de Paul Society Pharmacy operating in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and thought we could do something similar here in Florida. My goal is to develop a model for a low cost pharmacy,” he said.
The pharmacy is open one day a week for new patients and several hours on another day for prescription pick up and refills. Interviews with patient advocates take up to 1 1/2 hours, but then the patient advocate continues to work with the client on future refills or new drug needs.
Strict Guidelines Apply
According to the pharmacy’s medical director, Dr. Mark Asperilla, strict guidelines apply. Applicants are interviewed, provide documentation of their income and expenses, give a general medical history, and list all drugs they take. Prescriptions are verified with physicians, and then volunteer pharmacists dispense the drugs to those who qualify.
Since opening last May, the pharmacy has served nearly 100 Charlotte County residents. During its first full year of operation, it expects to dispense more than $100,000 in free medications to those who qualify.
Bill Appel, a pharmacist retired after almost 50 years in the field, serves as pharmacy manager. He oversees the five other volunteer pharmacists that include several local pharmacists who work full time but still help out.
“Starting up the pharmacy was pretty tough,” explained Appel. “We had new computers that didn’t behave at first, so we were writing labels by hand,” he laughed. “I put in a lot of volunteer hours at the pharmacy, but the people are very grateful. We can’t satisfy all their needs, but most understand that.”
Now that the pharmacy is operating more smoothly, medical director Dr. Mark Asperilla is working on the center’s policies and procedures and educating the volunteer staff about drug interactions and safety and ethics. His goal is to make the pharmacy a successful charitable franchise so that others can set up such pharmacies at other Florida locales.
Drugs are Donated, Purchased at Discount
And where do these free drugs come from? “About 75 percent of the pharmacy’s inventory is comprised of sample medications donated by area doctors. The other 25 percent is purchased directly from drug wholesalers,” explained Ferrara. He and his teams of volunteers are also working on qualifying clients for a longer-term program through the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, an industry trade group. According to this group, drug companies give away prescription medications each year valued at about $934 million — about six percent of their annual $149 billion profit.
Getting the drugs, either on a 30-day fill or longer, is an arduous process. That’s why the St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy exists.
Team of Volunteers Assigned
“We help our clients and their doctors fill out the paperwork required. Each client is assigned to a team of volunteers comprised of a team leader, three couriers, and several patient advocates. Team members include retired nurses and many talented local retirees who have a variety of skills.”
Other members of the medical community are also behind the project, by spreading the word and through their donations. Bon Secours-St. Joseph Hospital donated the facility for the pharmacy, located at the intersection of Tamiami Trail and Olean Boulevard. The Southwest Florida Community Foundation provided grant money, and other donors include Charlotte Regional Medical Center, and local businesses.
For more information about the St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy, call (941) 766-9570.
It is located at 1282 Market Circle, Unit #6 Port Charlotte, FL 33953.
