Description:
Established in 2010, the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio (CPCO) provides prescription medication and pharmaceutical services at no cost. Patients qualify for services if their income is 200% of the Federal Poverty Level or below; they live in Franklin County; and they have no insurance or are under-insured relative to income. They may be (1) homeless and uninsured; (2) between coverage due to death, divorce, disability or catastrophic disease; (3) part-time workers not offered insurance; or (4) those who are insured but cannot afford high shared premiums or co-pays. Staff includes pharmacists, pharmacy residents, pharmacy technicians and social worker. The unique model ensures access to medication as well as regular consultations at each visit. Patients see a health practitioner regularly, increasing the likelihood that potential safety issues like non-adherence and drug interactions are caught early before leading to a catastrophic event. This continuity is critical for older adults age 60 or over who are taking multiple medications for their chronic health conditions. The average CPCO patient takes 8 medications. Patients receive one-on-one medication counseling with a pharmacist, pharmacy resident or senior pharmacy intern at each visit or an offer to receive counseling telephonically for those patients receiving the medications at home (CPCO introduced mail-order to ensure social distancing for some patients). CPCO also provides a geriatric education module for its advanced pharmacy interns serving one- or two-month rotations in direct patient care. We also introduced a social worker to the staff in 2019, to our knowledge the first in the country to join an all-pharmacy team. Her outreach efforts have been critical to identifying and addressing patients’ social determinants of health, which have become an even greater part of the healthcare conversation in the midst of the current pandemic. CPCO is able to provide extensive service and medications at no cost to our patients due to in-kind donations of medications and advanced practice pharmacy interns on monthly rotations during their last year at The OSU College of Pharmacy. (More than 500 students have completed CPCO rotations.) As a result, we are able to provide $8 worth of medication and services for every $1 donated. Since opening, CPCO has filled more than 500,000 prescriptions for 7,000 patients for a total market value of over $50 million in prescription medication. It was recognized as the 2019 Healthcare Trailblazer by Columbus CEO magazine. In 2018, CPCO gained national recognition when the Pharmacy Quality Alliance and the Community Pharmacy Foundation recognized it with the inaugural Community Pharmacy Innovations award. That same year, CPCO also received an Excellence in Community Partnership Award from OSU. In 2015, it was named one of “5 Nonprofits to Watch” by The Columbus Foundation. CPCO is planning to open a second location in South Linden in June 2021.
Mission:
The Charitable Pharmacy's primary mission is to provide affordable and appropriate pharmacy services* and coordinate access to health care for people who are vulnerable** in our community. *Pharmacy Services: Medicines and necessary services to ensure optimum clinical outcomes. **Vulnerable: Those living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level who are uninsured or underinsured for prescription medications.
Ways We Invest in Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio:
People-Centered Services: $45,000
Address:
200 East Livingston Avenue (43215)
Phone:
614.227.0301
Fax:
614.227.0387
