St. Vincent's Medical Center
Bridgeport, Conn.

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St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, Conn., has taken a lead role in creating the Hope Dispensary of Greater Bridgeport, a facility to provide prescription medications at no cost to uninsured and low-income patients in Bridgeport. The new dispensing site, located in Bridgeport, the largest city in Connecticut with a significant minority uninsured population, is the first Dispensary of Hope site in Connecticut.

Ascension Health, the nation's largest Catholic health care system, and the parent organization for St. Vincent's Medical Center, has given a $160,000 grant to the project.

The Primary Care Action Group (PCAG), a collaboration of area health service organizations in the greater Bridgeport area, which includes St. Vincent's, partnered with the Dispensary of Hope, a growing national network of clinics and pharmacies, to launch the facility.

St. Vincent's Pharmacy staff, in conjunction with PCAG members, did a tremendous amount of work to get the facility operational, soliciting donations and working with city and state agencies to obtain permits and ensure regulatory compliance. They also created a website to support patient access and physician involvement.

The City of Bridgeport and State of Connecticut donated the space, located in the City's Department of Health building. A licensed pharmacist from St. Vincent's staffs the site aided by an AmeriCorps intern, while the Greater Bridgeport Medical Association coordinates the outreach to doctors to encourage them to donate their unused drug samples and products.

Members of PCAG contributing to the project are St. Vincent's Medical Center, Bridgeport Hospital, Optimus Health Care, Southwest Community Health Center, City of Bridgeport Department of Health, AmeriCares Free Clinic of Bridgeport, Connecticut Department of Social Services, Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Greater Bridgeport Medical Association, Southwestern Area Health Education Center and Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition. PCAG focuses on education and advocacy to ensure that every person has access to affordable health insurance coverage.

Dispensary of Hope's sourcing strategy is directed at attaining medicines to treat the top five chronic diseases which fall under the categories of cardiac, pulmonary, diabetes and mental health. Its formulary consists of 1,700 different drugs, but will stock no controlled drugs or birth control.

To qualify for prescription assistance, an individual must have no prescription coverage, and have a limited income (be at 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level or less). Individuals must provide the prescription, a photo ID, and proof of income.

For more information, contact the Hope Dispensary of Greater Bridgeport at (203) 332-5653 or www.hopedispensarybridgeport.org.