The Primary Care Action Group and city of Bridgeport have opened a facility to provide free medication to the needy.
“We know our residents who need this assistance are now being taken care of; this is a great day for Bridgeport,” Mayor Bill Finch said at the opening ceremony of the center. “At the same time, we have also reduced the environmental impact that our children face from the improper disposal of drugs.”
The new facility, the Hope Dispensary of Greater Bridgeport, is in the Department of Health building on East Main Street.
The initiative to bring the facility to reality was taken on by the collaboration of leaders from 75 health care providers and administrators that make up the Primary Care Action Group. The group partnered with the Dispensary of Hope, a national network of clinics and pharmacies that provide prescription medications at no cost to uninsured and low-income patients.
The Bridgeport location is the first Dispensary of Hope site in Connecticut. The organizations sourcing strategy is directed at attaining medicines to treat the top five chronic diseases that fall under the categories of cardiac, pulmonary, diabetes and mental health. Its formulary consists of 1,700 different drugs, but no controlled drugs will be stocked at the location.
The site will be staffed by Christine Toni, a licensed pharmacist from St. Vincent”™s, while the Greater Bridgeport Medical Association will coordinate the outreach to doctors to encourage them to donate their unused drug samples and products.
To qualify for prescription assistance, an individual must have no prescription coverage, and have a limited income of 200 percent of the federal poverty level or less. Individuals taking part also must provide the prescription, a photo identification or social security card, and proof of income such as a pay stub or bank statement.
The dispensary”™s future is based on support from local physicians who can donate excess, unexpired medications. Physicians can visit the website to learn how to donate.
“This is a great example of a community with the spirit to help residents who cannot afford badly needed medications,” said William Jennings, president and CEO of Bridgeport Hospital.
The project was sponsored by the city of Bridgeport and state of Connecticut, both of which donated the space for the dispensary, which is in the building that currently houses the city”™s Department of Health.
Ascension Health, a Catholic-based health care organization and parent organization for St. Vincent”™s Medical Center, has given $160,000 to the project.
