Bill Text: VA HJR332 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Rx Partnership.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-07 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ332ER) [HJR332 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HJR332-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, for two decades, Rx Partnership has worked to increase access to medication for uninsured and underinsured residents of the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, medication access remains a critical issue for the thousands of Virginians that have little or no access to health care, and are unable to afford the cost of prescription medications; and
WHEREAS, the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Joint Commission on Health Care helped initiate Rx Partnership as a public-private partnership to provide free medications to eligible uninsured individuals in Virginia, starting in 2004; and
WHEREAS, Rx Partnership is a freestanding, nonprofit organization that serves as a broker to solicit free prescription medications from pharmaceutical companies and purchases a targeted formulary of generic medications via group purchasing, then arranges for their distribution to affiliate free clinics and community health centers with licensed pharmacies, which it credentials, monitors, and audits; and
WHEREAS, Rx Partnership provides regular shipments of filled prescriptions through the Access to Medication Program (AMP), a central-fill pharmacy model, to communities in which no clinic with a licensed pharmacy operates; and
WHEREAS, Rx Partnership developed a simple and cost-effective mail delivery program to allow clinics to mail filled prescriptions at no charge to patients who would otherwise face a barrier to access due to transportation challenges; and
WHEREAS, the Rx Partnership's model offers a streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective process for accessing a variety of brand-name and generic medications to treat chronic conditions quickly, easily, and affordably; and
WHEREAS, during the past two decades, more than one million prescriptions were filled for more than 80,600 eligible uninsured, chronically ill patients at 30 affiliate clinics and health centers, using a formulary currently consisting of 114 medications in 232 dosage strengths; and
WHEREAS, these medications have an estimated retail value in excess of $273.8 million and represent a tremendous return on the Commonwealth's investment by leveraging approximately $128 in medication value for every $1 match of state funds; and
WHEREAS, many Virginia-based corporations, foundations, and organizations have made financial commitments to Rx Partnership during the organization's 20 years of service to communities around the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Rx Partnership has fulfilled its mission through the generosity and visionary support of these outstanding partner organizations, as well as through the hard work and dedication of its board members, staff, and volunteers; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Rx Partnership for its outstanding service to the Commonwealth and its successful efforts to increase access to prescription medications for Virginia's uninsured residents; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to Rx Partnership and its patient-assistance partners GSK, Merck, AbbVie, and Pfizer, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the organization's vital mission and legacy of achievements.
