Making Rounds
Program helps people fill prescriptions for free
Julia McLellan regularly hears the news stories. Each time, she feels upset and frustrated.
“I cannot stand the thought that anyone would go without their medication,” she said. “It just drives me crazy.”
McLellan, PharmD, is Pharmacy Manager for the Cumberland County Medication Access Program (CCMAP), a collaborative effort between the Cape Fear Valley Health System, the Cumberland County Health Department and other community partners. She and her staff of four pharmacy technicians and two pharmacists are available to help people who cannot afford their prescription medication due to a variety of reasons.
“If we can find a way to help them, we want to do that, and we want to make it as easy as we can,” she said. “We have a great team, and I feel like we work together well.”
Gail Stewart readily attests to the fact. She carefully planned her 2023 retirement after working for 27 years in Cape Fear Valley’s LifeLink Specialty Care Transport office, intending to help care for her young grandchild. But she didn’t realize that even with Medicare coverage, the co-pay for her diabetes medication would be prohibitively high. A friend told her about CCMAP.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize how wonderful that program is,” Stewart said. “I’ve never had anyone treat me any better. Every time I’ve been in contact with them, by phone or in person, they’ve been extremely nice.”
Diabetes medications, in particular, can be among the costliest. McLellan and her team helped Stewart receive both of her prescribed medicines at no charge.
“There’s no charge for anything we do. We’re just here to help them get what they need so they can lead healthier lives.”
– Julia McLellan, PharmD
“One of my medicines is actually mailed to me now,” Stewart said. “The other I get every four months.”
People struggling to pay for medications certainly should know they aren’t alone. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that millions of Americans struggle to afford the medications they need. The reasons can range from being without health insurance to qualifying for Medicare but missing the enrollment period for a supplemental prescription plan. McLellan suggested that Stewart might feel inclined to help spread the word about CCMAP, and she has. Stewart even advised her primary care doctor to let his patients know about the program.
The program began as a way to help the uninsured but has since branched out to help Medicare patients.
“Some people don’t realize they have to sign up for a Medicare prescription plan,” McLellan said. “When they first enroll in Medicare, they may be healthy and not taking medicines. But then they have a heart attack or some other issue. Medications for diabetes, COPD, heart failure and a lot of other chronic conditions can run more than $1,000 a month.”
McLellan said she often meets patients who feel they are faced with deciding between paying for the medications that can help them lead healthier lives and keeping up with mortgages and utility bills or even being able to afford groceries. She and her staff can help with a variety of challenges in addition to helping with prescription needs.
“We work with our community partners,” she said. “A lot of people don’t know about us, but there are other resources people don’t know about either. We might point them to the CARE Clinic or to Meals on Wheels, or for someone who might need a walker, we’ll send them to Better Health of Cumberland County. Someone might need a test, and we may know a resource that has some funding.”
“There’s no charge for anything we do,” she said. “We’re just here to help them get what they need so they can lead healthier lives. If we can take that off their plate, that means the world to me.”
Cape Fear Valley Health System helps fund CCMAP, along with grants and donations from the community. Someone in need of help simply needs to call (910) 433-3602 to start the process. When they do, they can expect to find a kind and caring voice on the other end, ready to help.
“It’s an immensely gratifying job,” McLellan said. “I love what I do.”
CCMAP isn’t just for Cumberland County residents! Residents in Bladen, Hoke, Harnett, Robeson and Sampson Counties can also be eligible. For more information, visit ccmap.org.
