OptumRx Supports Kansans in Need Through Medication Donations Now Totaling More Than $20 Million
March 08 2018 - 3:32PM
Business Wire
- Tens of thousands of uninsured and
underinsured Kansans have benefited from innovative,
first-of-its-kind state law
- Thirty-eight clinics throughout Kansas
take part in the program
- Gov. Jeff Colyer and OptumRx celebrate
milestone at Duchesne Clinic in Kansas City, Kan.
OptumRx, a leading pharmacy care services company that is part
of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), announced it has surpassed $20
million in prescription medication donations to help tens of
thousands of Kansans in need under the Kansas Unused Medication
Donation Program.
With a commitment to providing Kansans with access to affordable
prescription drugs, OptumRx worked with the Kansas Legislature and
the Kansas Board of Pharmacy to develop the Kansas Unused
Medication Donation Act, which became law in 2009. The first of its
kind in the nation, the law allows adult care homes, mail-service
or home delivery pharmacies and medical care facilities to donate
unused medications in their original or pharmacist-sealed packaging
to safety net clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
across Kansas. Prior to the law, OptumRx and other facilities were
required to destroy these unused medications.
“When the Act passed, we saw an opportunity for the private
sector and government to work together to help people in need, and
to date it has been incredibly successful,” said Gov. Jeff Colyer,
M.D. “Valuable and even life-saving medications that were going to
waste under the old laws are now going to Kansans in need. We
should celebrate and seek to emulate innovative programs like this
to help the underserved get much-needed care.”
OptumRx’s state-of-the-art home delivery pharmacy in Overland
Park, Kan., has donated hundreds of thousands of medications, worth
more than $20 million, to safety net clinics since 2009 to provide
needed health care to patients.
“Through the Kansas Unused Medication Donation Act, OptumRx has
helped thousands of Kansans who often lack access to the affordable
medications they need every day,” said OptumRx CEO John Prince.
“Supporting the communities in which we work and live is an
important part of how OptumRx helps deliver better health outcomes
and lower overall costs. We are honored to have been able to help
those Kansans who need it most, and look forward to working with
partners across the state to continue to help Kansans live
healthier lives.”
Gov. Colyer joined Prince for the donation milestone
announcement today at the Duchesne Clinic in Kansas City, one of 38
participating clinics that distribute the free medications. The
medications that are often made available include insulin and
diabetic supplies, antibiotics and antidepressants, and many others
in short supply at the clinics.
The Kansas program is managed by the Department of Health and
Environment, which works with the Community Health Center of
Southeast Kansas in Pittsburg, Kan., to determine recipients and
manage distribution to FQHCs and safety net clinics.
“Any of the clinics across the state can tell you about the
profound impact this program has on the health and well-being of
the people they serve,” said Bob Burk, Director of Community
Relations for the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas. “One
doesn’t have to look far to see how this program and the
medications provided by OptumRx have been truly life-changing and
life-saving for so many.”
OptumRx is one of the Optum companies of UnitedHealth Group.
Optum employs more than 2,500 people in Overland Park and across
the greater Kansas City area.
About OptumRxOptumRx is a pharmacy care services company
helping clients and more than 65 million members achieve better
health outcomes and lower overall costs through innovative
prescription drug benefit services, including network claims
processing, clinical programs, formulary management and specialty
pharmacy care. Through expertise, flexible technology and a network
of over 67,000 community pharmacies and state-of-the-art home
delivery pharmacies, OptumRx is putting patients at the center of
the pharmacy experience and making health care more connected and
less fragmented – ensuring patients get the right medication at the
right time at the best cost. OptumRx is part of Optum®, a leading
information and technology-enabled health services business
dedicated to making the health system work better for everyone. For
more information, visit optum.com/optumrx.
About OptumOptum is a leading information and
technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping
make the health system work better for everyone. With more than
135,000 people worldwide, Optum delivers intelligent, integrated
solutions that help to modernize the health system and improve
overall population health. Optum is part of UnitedHealth Group
(NYSE:UNH). For more information, visit www.optum.com.
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OptumDrew Krejci, 952-205-6652drew.krejci@optum.com
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