Prescription Drug Assistance
in North Carolina
Home Delivery of Your Prescriptions Drugs (Triangle)
NC Association of Free Clinics
NC Division of Medical Assistance
NCRx
Personalized Assistance
County Assistance Programs
County assistance programs vary and are available for seniors living withing the county. Check with your local aging agency or Department of Social Services to see what is available in your county. Below are examples of county programs.
Durham County SeniorPharmAssist is a nonprofit organization based in Durham, N.C. working to help older adults 65+, with low incomes, obtain the medicines they need and to avoid problem drug interactions. Some financial assistance is available and medical counseling is a key component of the service. Counseling clients about drug interactions and the dangers of stretching medications is offered as part of a comprehensive service. Call 919-688-4772 or e-mail them.
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Orange County Local clinics run by Piedmont Health Services offer patients medications on a sliding fee scale, based on income. If a patient is eligible for the Medicare Prescription Drug Program, they are encouraged to enroll because their cost would be less. Because the Clinic pharmacy offers low cost prescription drugs clients will probably never reach the level where they will have to pay for coverage (the "donut hole"). The pharmacy director, Carl Taylor, is willing to counsel anyone with concerns about enrollment. Call 919-933-8494 x502.
UNC Hospital has a program where some inpatients and some outpatients may qualify for assistance with paying for medications. A prescription assistance counselor is the contact to determine eligibility. Be sure to have your medical record number available.
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Wake County MAPS: Medication Assistance Plan for Seniors is a program of Resources for Seniors that assists seniors in applying for patient assistance programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. Applicants to this program must be 60+, have monthly income below $1074 for singles or $1452 for couples, and have no other prescription drug coverage (discount plans don’t count). Re-application is required every three months. The cost for each application (not for each drug) is $15. FIGS: Filling in the Gaps, offered by Urban Ministries offers short-term financial assistance with prescriptions for those without insurance. Call 919-834-4707. Assistance is also provided with applying to various drug companies for low or no cost prescription drugs. FIGS: Filling in the Gaps is also offered by Wake County Human Services. Call 919-212-7000. |
Find My Local Department of Social Services
Home Delivery of Prescription Drugs by a Pharmacy (Triangle)
As a caregiver, you may not have time to continually go to the pharmacy to purchase needed prescription drugs. This is especially true if the drugs are only allowed to be purchased one month at a time, there are multiple drugs involved, and the timeframes for the allowed purchases are staggered. Plus, your caregiving responsibilities take up a lot of time.
If you aren't purchasing the prescriptions online, ask your local pharmacist if they have delivery service and, if so, if there is a charge.
If you live in the Triangle (NC), there is another alternative. Physicians Pharmacy Alliance offers monthly delivery service and is designed for individuals with multiple prescription needs and limited or no ability to leave home to purchase them. Prescriptions are e-mailed or faxed directly to the pharmacy. A computer program synchronizes a patient's drug regimens so that all the various medications expire at the same time. The program checks for drug interactions between the medicines, side effects, and other complications. Orders are double checked with the patient by phone before the monthly delivery is due.
When the delivery arrives, the order is re-confirmed and is discussed. A printout of the medications accompanies the order. It includes pictures of the pills and a wallet-sized card listing the drugs for potential emergency use.
New prescriptions needed between deliveries will also be filled. Several nurses and doctors oversee the daily operations. They are located in Cary, NC. Contact them at 919-463-5555.
NC Association of Free Clinics
The Association is comprised of about 42 free clinics and pharmacies throughout NC They provide free medical and dental care, including prescription medications, to low-income, uninsured and medically underinsured people in over 34 counties. Eight of their programs provide only pharmacy assistance. These non-profits typically utilize volunteer health care professionals and collaborative efforts with other established health agencies to provide service.
Note: These clinics are designed to cover individuals not covered by Medicare or Medicaid or other types of insurance programs.
NC Division of Medical Assistance
The NC Division of Medical Assistance will continue to offer limited coverage for selected medications excluded by the new Medicare prescription drug program.
NCRx
NCRx is a prescription drug assistance plan to help low-income seniors in North Carolina by paying up to $18 toward monthly premiums for Medicare Prescription Drug Plans. Eligibility requirements must be met for participation. The funds from this program are from the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission (tobacco settlement funds). For more information, call 1-888-488-NCRX (6279) or use the link to the Governor's website for this program. |
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Personalized Assistance
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If you would like individualized assistance, please contact your local Seniors Health Insurance Information Program (919-807-6900). |
Personalized assistance is also available through your Area Agency on Aging and local aging agency.
