Virginia nonprofit celebrates 20 years of expanding medication access

Del. Rodney Willett, D-Henrico, speaks at Main St. Station in Richmond for Rx Partnership's 20th anniversary event.

As the cost of living rises, many low-income Virginians often have to choose between paying for vital medication or putting food on the table. This is where Rx Partnership comes in – a nonprofit that works to expand medication access across the entire state and has done so for 20 years. 

Rx Partnership executive director Amy Yarcich said the organization obtains medication either by purchasing it or through pharmaceutical company donations, where it is then sent to free clinics across the commonwealth. Since its first shipment of medication in 2004, Yarcich said Rx Partnership has supported over 80,000 patients across 31 free clinics. 

Yarcich said the access to medication along with health care services provided by free clinics can help patients “be healthier and have one less worry when they’re looking at juggling so many things in their life.”

The nonprofit’s origin dates to 2003, when a group of healthcare professionals collaborated to create a more efficient way to access medication in Virginia for patients who need it. 

“There were processes with pharmaceutical companies that were really cumbersome, time consuming and just not working well,” Yarcich said. 

Now, Rx Partnership sees a significant demand in medication from clinics serving low-income, uninsured patients, despite the jump in Virginians with Medicaid coverage after the state expanded the program in 2019. 

A patient “may turn up to a pharmacy counter to find out an inhaler costs $125 and they may abandon that prescription because they just don’t have that,” Yarcich said. “They’re making tough decisions about whether to get dinner that evening or be able to afford medication.”

Rx Partnership also works with free clinics to provide medication for the underinsured — patients who don’t qualify for Medicaid but can’t afford to pay large out-of-pocket expenses through commercial insurance. Free clinics can help enroll eligible patients on Medicaid and provide medication in instances where a person is waiting to receive benefits. 

Additionally, Yarcich said because there are so many free clinics with pharmacies, Rx Partnership helps alleviate medication access in “pharmacy deserts” — areas where no traditional pharmacies are available. According to a June Board of Pharmacy report, five Virginia counties — Rappahannock, Nelson, King and Queen, Surry and Charles City — don’t have a single pharmacy. Fifteen counties only have one pharmacy.

Patients who face barriers like lack of transportation can receive medication through mail delivery, a program Rx Partnership started in response to COVID-19.

“We’re there to catch people who fall through the cracks,” Yarcich said. “We want to make sure there is that safety net and people dont go without things and find themselves in crisis in the emergency room.”

The average Virginian may not realize this support system exists, Yarcich said, because Rx Partnership mainly works behind the scenes with free clinics and pharmaceutical companies. In an effort to raise awareness during its 20-year anniversary, the nonprofit is displaying an exhibit of its work and accomplishments at Main St. Station in Richmond. The display will remain until May 31.

“Maybe it’s not today, maybe it’s next week, next year,” Yarcich said. Increased awareness means a person can “find themself in conversation with someone struggling and they can mention Rx Partnership.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect Rx Partnership has supported 80,000 patients since 2004, not 8,000.

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