Dominion Energy Helps Rx Partnership Launch Innovative Generic Medication Pilot

RICHMOND, Va. - May 16, 2017 - PRLog -- Rx Partnership, a public/private partnership established to increase access to medication for Virginians in need, has announced the launch of a new pilot program, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. The new Access to Medication Program, or AMP, will provide critically needed generic medications to vulnerable patients at a wide range of facilities, including free clinics and community health centers across the Commonwealth.

"Rx Partnership created AMP to alleviate the financial burden that generic medications can create for both clinics and patients," said Amy Yarcich, executive director of Rx Partnership. "With Dominion's assistance, we can be sure a patient is actually getting the medication they need to manage their chronic condition – something that results in better health outcomes for the patient and ensures the physician's time can be focused on working with a patient on next steps for care."

Rx Partnership provided more than 50,000 free prescriptions for 10,614 low-income, uninsured patients in 2016, representing a retail value of about $11.5 million. With the new AMP program, these impact numbers are expected to increase significantly in 2017.

"We are so pleased to help Rx Partnership do more of what it does best: provide life-saving medicines to improve the lives of people across Virginia," said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation.

The AARP estimates that more than a quarter of prescriptions aren't filled because people can't afford them. And when the prescribing clinics cover the cost of the prescription on behalf of patients, it limits the ability of the clinic to provide other essential medical services.

"We are excited to be a part of this new program to provide generic medications at no cost to our patients," said Kendra Robinson, MSN, RN, CDE, and clinic director at Old Towne Medical Center. "We are hopeful that the success of this venture will have a positive impact on our patients, their families and the community at large."

By providing access to the most-needed generic drugs, Rx Partnership aims to reduce the facilities' overall spend on medication, increase the fill rate for patients and, ultimately, improve health outcomes for  people who cannot afford the rising costs of medications to manage chronic conditions.

AMP will be phased in across Virginia, with Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center in Williamsburg and Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic in Fredericksburg the first sites to offer the program. Additional AMP sites will be added beginning July 1.

Rx Partnership's 20 partner affiliates in Virginia are free clinics that provide pharmacy services for patients. Rx Partnership coordinates the ordering, reporting and communication between pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare organizations in order to create a system that is fast, efficient, reliable and low-cost to operate.

About Rx Partnership

Founded in 2003, Rx Partnership is an innovative public-private partnership created to increase access to free prescription medications for Virginia's vulnerable populations by obtaining donated medication in bulk from pharmaceutical companies and arranging for distribution directly to nonprofit, licensed affiliate pharmacies that it credentials and monitors. The organization has helped more than 72,000 patients receive medications valued at $158 million since its inception. For more information, visit www.RxPartnership.org.