Chicago, IL. - Advocate Health Care is taking a significant step to address disparities in medication access through a vital collaboration with Dispensary of Hope. The non-profit organization provides free, essential medications to chronically ill, uninsured patients facing financial difficulties. The launch of this new program at Advocate Trinity Hospital and Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center reflects the health system’s ongoing commitment to advancing health equity and improving patient care across the communities it serves.
“We are on a quest to find ways to make it easy for our patients to receive the care and support they need, regardless of their income level,” said Vincent E. Jackson, chief pharmacy officer of Advocate Health. “This collaboration with Dispensary of Hope is a testament to how we are breaking down barriers to medication access and expanding our pharmacy footprint in communities where patients might otherwise go without the medicine they need.”
Physicians, nurses, and care management teams across both hospitals work to identify patients who qualify for the assistance program. Eligible patients must be uninsured or have incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. Once enrolled, they can receive up to a 90-day supply of free prescriptions delivered to their home using Advocate Health Care’s in-house courier service. For patients who need additional resources, the care team will work to help them find local community health centers to provide continuity of care.
“For many patients, having access to affordable life-saving medications is unfortunately out of reach, increasing their health risks,” said Tasha Williams, Pharm.D., M.J., manager of pharmacy and chronic disease management for Advocate Health Care in Illinois.” By incorporating this program, we can ensure that patients have the necessary prescriptions upon discharge, reducing the likelihood of frequent hospital and emergency visits, reducing long-term health care costs.”
In addition to the Dispensary of Hope program, patients have access to Advocate Health Care’s Essential Medication Voucher, which gives them up to a 10-day supply of their medications at no charge. The voucher system has existed at all Advocate Health Care sites for several years and will continue to serve as a resource for patients needing medication.
Advocate Trinity also ensures that inpatients at every income level are equipped to maintain their health and avoid hospital readmissions due to medication non-compliance through its new Meds to Bed service. The new tele-pharmacy program, which started rolling out in late August, delivers new prescriptions directly to the patient’s bedside at discharge. Through this program, patients receive new medications ordered by their doctor, which may include a 30-day supply of maintenance medications. Many of Advocate Trinity’s South Side patients live in communities with little or no access to retail pharmacies where prescriptions are filled. Patients who are not able to pay their out-of-pocket cost at the time of discharge are able to use an essential medication voucher at the time of service.
Advocate Health Care intends to expand the Dispensary of Hope free prescription program throughout its footprint in Illinois and Wisconsin by 2025 to ensure thousands of patients have access to life-saving medications, reduce their financial barriers to care, and improve overall health outcomes.
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About Advocate Health Care
Advocate Health Care is the largest health system in Illinois and a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience, and value-based care. One of the state’s largest private employers, the system serves patients across 11 hospitals, including two children’s campuses, and more than 250 sites of care. Advocate Health Care, in addition to Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin and Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Alabama, is now a part of Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.