Nashville Catholic hospital aids uninsured with low-cost drug program

Published: 2006-07-18

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) -- Motivated by the belief people should not suffer illness because they can't afford medication and a desire to make a tangible difference in the lives of uninsured and underserved Tennesseans, St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville has launched the Dispensary of Hope medication assistance program. The Dispensary of Hope is "a creative way to cut costs and provide needed medications to patients," said David Neu, pharmacy manager at St. Thomas' Plaza Pharmacy, where qualified patients come to pick up their free medicines alongside other patients who are getting prescriptions filled through insurance plans. The nearly 500 different types of prescription drugs available at the Catholic hospital's Dispensary of Hope are sample medications donated by local physicians. "The response (from doctors) has been phenomenal," Neu told the Tennessee Register, newspaper of the Nashville Diocese.

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