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I have a site visit this week at a free clinic that offers normal maintence medications. How does someone start with an idea like this and how do you get the drugs and Dr. to help out?
How to start a non-profit clinic
- Thread starter OUTexan
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I did a month at Healthright in Morgantown. The attending physicians and pharmacists were teachers at the school of medicine/pharmacy, pill bottles were usually recycled (local pharmacies delabel and collect old patient bottles), and drugs came from indigent programs from pharma companies. There was a small paid staff consisting of two PAs.
Of course, it's all paid for by Mylan....so maybe it's better off than most free clinics. All available Mylan generics were there and free. (That Milan Puskar dude that owns Mylan Pharmaceuiticals is an actual honest to God philanthropist. He gives tons of money away. Pays his employees above average salaries and gives them the best health plans he can buy.)
Corporate sponsorship is always an option. It's the best publicity money can buy....giving drugs to poor people. In reality it costs you pennies....but the public will view you very positively
Of course, it's all paid for by Mylan....so maybe it's better off than most free clinics. All available Mylan generics were there and free. (That Milan Puskar dude that owns Mylan Pharmaceuiticals is an actual honest to God philanthropist. He gives tons of money away. Pays his employees above average salaries and gives them the best health plans he can buy.)
Corporate sponsorship is always an option. It's the best publicity money can buy....giving drugs to poor people. In reality it costs you pennies....but the public will view you very positively
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I volunteer at one, YMMV depending on state laws.
Most of the free clinics here are in some way sponsored by local hospitals or churches. Hospitals will donate labs or services such as surgery that the clinics can refer them to. Medications can be purchased through the hospitals buying power at cost. Churches will donate floor space, money and/or volunteers (usually non-clinical). There are also philanthropic organizations that will donate money. All of this donation usually comes with strings attached so you need someone in charge who is a good negotiator. You also need someone who can try to get med companies to donate product, and/or assist patient in filling out medication charity work.
You have to register with the state as a charitable pharmacy, and there must be a pharmacist "in-charge". You will be inspected by the BOP every ywar and everyone must have a tech license to volunteer in the pharmacy. Find a group of docs and nurses that want to volunteer and that are reliable, some will come from the hospitial that assists you. Many of the docs will bring in med samples from their clinics for you to use. Ideally you want to get volunteers before they get into professional school that will want to stay and volunteer after graduation. Have people around that speak other languages. We have a lot of only spanish speaking patients, and we have to do a lot of translation through family and pantomiming.
All the patients here sign wavers each time saying that they hold the medical providers blameless, which of course doesnt protect 100% from ligitation, but I believe there are laws in place to protect medical volunteers.
Most of the free clinics here are in some way sponsored by local hospitals or churches. Hospitals will donate labs or services such as surgery that the clinics can refer them to. Medications can be purchased through the hospitals buying power at cost. Churches will donate floor space, money and/or volunteers (usually non-clinical). There are also philanthropic organizations that will donate money. All of this donation usually comes with strings attached so you need someone in charge who is a good negotiator. You also need someone who can try to get med companies to donate product, and/or assist patient in filling out medication charity work.
You have to register with the state as a charitable pharmacy, and there must be a pharmacist "in-charge". You will be inspected by the BOP every ywar and everyone must have a tech license to volunteer in the pharmacy. Find a group of docs and nurses that want to volunteer and that are reliable, some will come from the hospitial that assists you. Many of the docs will bring in med samples from their clinics for you to use. Ideally you want to get volunteers before they get into professional school that will want to stay and volunteer after graduation. Have people around that speak other languages. We have a lot of only spanish speaking patients, and we have to do a lot of translation through family and pantomiming.
All the patients here sign wavers each time saying that they hold the medical providers blameless, which of course doesnt protect 100% from ligitation, but I believe there are laws in place to protect medical volunteers.
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My school has a charitable pharmacy where we fill maintenance medications for 3 months, untill the patients can be enlisted in corporate medication assistance programs. A local church helps support the pharmacy, and also one of our student organizations raises money. We also get samples donated sometimes that we can use. All of the workers are volunteers.
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