Does access to free medication reduce health system costs? An evaluation of the Dispensary of Hope program

NC MedAssist: Dispensing Hope throughout North Carolina

“…Continued support is needed for current programs, as well as new services like the tobacco cessation program. More research is needed to show the impact of a free pharmacy program on health care cost avoidance and patient health outcomes [3,4,15]. As the only free pharmacy program in North Carolina, NC MedAssist provides essential services and acutely needed medications to thousands of people across the state each year.…”

“…This mission began with the understanding that medication adherence can lead to better health outcomes and reduced medical costs, as noted in Sokol's seminal 2005 study [8]. Since then, many other publications have demonstrated this relationship [3,4,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. One study conducted by Allaire and colleagues with Dispensary of Hope, a nonprofit distributor of free medications, found that medication adherence decreased inpatient hospitalization stays and per-person annual costs for one of its associated health care systems [15].…”

“…One study conducted by Allaire and colleagues with Dispensary of Hope, a nonprofit distributor of free medications, found that medication adherence decreased inpatient hospitalization stays and per-person annual costs for one of its associated health care systems [15]. These results were significant for patients with a higher number of comorbidities, demonstrating the importance of ensuring medication adherence, especially in those with multiple disease processes [15].…”