You've heard the stories about families who regularly have to decide whether to buy food or get their medications. It's a terrible dilemma for anyone, but low-income families often have to make these decisions every day. But, one unique pharmacy in Memphis, Tennessee is helping the community by giving low-income families their medications for free.
Putting patients before profits
The word "free" is not often heard of these days, but that is exactly what Good Shepherd Health is doing! The charity pharmacy uses donated and wholesale medicines to help cover prescription costs so they can, in turn, give patients their monthly medications for free. It's a huge benefit for those who qualify.
How to qualify
Families whose income is below the poverty line can qualify for free medications. Good Shepherd Health has given over $300,000 in free medications since last September. Dr. Philip Baker, a pharmacist and founder of Good Shepherd Health in Memphis, started the idea two years ago and hopes his idea can go national.
But how do they profit?
The pharmacy makes its profit on volume, not the traditional way of marking up prescription costs. As he says, “That may not be morally wrong, but to me it’s just not right.”
Since the pharmacy does not work with prescription insurance companies, they can pass the savings on to those who need it, namely low-income families who can't afford the high cost of prescription drugs.
For more information about Good Shepherd Health, visit www.goodshephealth.com or call 877-521-6337.
