Two weeks after starting dialysis in a battle against kidney disease, 47-year-old Ronnie Carter has 10 different prescriptions to maintain and no health insurance.
"I don't know which way to turn," he said. "I need help getting my pills. If it hadn't been for my momma this month, I'd be out on the streets."
Carter, who is unemployed, said he's applied for Medicaid coverage but needs help paying for his numerous medications until that comes through.
On Wednesday, he decided to visit the Help is Here Express, a traveling prescription assistance campaign that helps patients in need access more than 475 free or reduced-rate prescription programs.
The express, a large orange bus that spends its time crisscrossing the nation, is sponsored by a coalition of pharmaceutical research companies called the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. The bus contains a rolling office where two specialists help people find the programs they qualify for.
The crew made a stop Wednesday outside the Lynchburg Family Medical Center, drawing about 25 people over two hours. A prior visit that day in Bedford saw about 20 participants, organizers said. Nearly all left with some form of assistance.
"There are many people in Virginia who qualify for these programs but aren't getting help yet," express spokesman Jeff Trewhitt said. "We've made a dent, but we've still got a long way to go."
"The recession is certainly not helping matters at all," he added.
Trewhitt said the recession is driving up participation in the program as people are laid off and lose their health insurance. By providing access to free or low-cost prescriptions, he said, the express can help them continue to manage their conditions and avoid a full-blown medical crisis.
"This is a good-faith effort by the pharmaceutical industry to extend a helping hand in a difficult time," he said.
The express, which has visited all 50 states since it was created four-and-a-half years ago, will continue its tour of Virginia this week with visits to Danville, Martinsville and Bristol. Trewhitt said the program has helped around 440,000 Virginians since its inception and more than 6 million people nationwide.
Carter, who sat in a folding chair outside the bus in Lynchburg waiting for his name to be called, said he would be happy for any assistance they could give him.
"My funds are low," he said in a quiet voice. "I'm trying to get any help I can." To see more of The News & Advance, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsadvance.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2009, The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Va.