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The Community Pharmacy provides affordable meds

February 5, 2008 12:15 am

Thank you for the article regarding the Community Pharmacy ["Low-cost meds not easy to get," Jan. 26]. Here's some additional information about it.

The Community Pharmacy provides brand-name medications to adults without Medicare, Medicaid, or prescription insurance coverage whose income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($20,420 for an individual or $41,300 for a family of four).

The Community Pharmacy has an annual enrollment fee of $50 that helps offset its costs. The fee can be paid in quarterly installments or waived if the patient's household income is at or below 125 percent of the poverty level.

Patients pay a $4 administrative fee per prescription, even for expensive brand-name drugs. There is a monthly maximum of $20, even if an individual has more than five prescriptions.

Examples of medications available are Actos, which retails for about $212 per month, and Nexium, at about $180 per month. Both are available as a 30-day supply for $4 at the Community Pharmacy.

Although Wal-Mart and Target fill a much-needed gap with their $4 generic medication lists, they do not offer brand-name medications at a discount.

Patients must provide proof of income to participate (this is a requirement of the drug companies). The Community Pharmacy screens for eligibility by appointment five days a week and on a walk-in basis.

We urge those who are uninsured and at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, who have multiple medications or medications not on the Wal-Mart or Target generic formularies list, to contact the Community Pharmacy to schedule a screening.

We believe this is a valuable program that can help to provide affordable medications to those in need.

David Pierce

Fredericksburg

The writer is president of the Fredericksburg Area Regional Health Council.