HJ769: Commending the Rx Partenrship for its service to the Commonwealth.
WHEREAS, more than 1 million Virginians are uninsured and have little or no access to healthcare, and more than 27 percent of these citizens have no access to needed prescription medications; and
WHEREAS, the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Joint Commission on Health Care aided in initiating Rx Partnership in 2003 as a public/private partnership to increase access to prescription medications for Virginia’s eligible uninsured; and
WHEREAS, Rx Partnership is a free standing, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that serves as a broker to solicit free prescription medications from pharmaceutical companies and arranges for their distribution to affiliate free clinics and community health centers with licensed pharmacies, which it credentials, monitors, and audits; and
WHEREAS, in communities in which no community-based clinic with a licensed pharmacy exists or in which one central pharmacy can more effectively serve multiple clinics, Rx Partnership fostered and assisted in the development of several central-fill pharmacy programs; and
WHEREAS, the Rx Partnership’s model is a much more streamlined, efficient, and cost effective process compared to the burdensome, costly, and time consuming individual patient assistance programs; and
WHEREAS, during the past two years, more than 45,000 prescriptions of Rx Partnership’s 162 medications have helped more than 9,700 eligible, uninsured, chronically ill patients at 20 affiliate clinics and health centers; and
WHEREAS, these medications have an estimated retail value of in excess of $10.5 million and have been generously donated by Rx Partnership’s four current manufacturing partners, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and Abbott; and
WHEREAS, the Rx Partnership model is unique in the nation and has been called “the gold standard” by a representative of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, received the Carilion Foundation Award of Excellence, and was featured as an outstanding grantee by the Sentara Health Foundation; and
WHEREAS, the Rx Partnership provides a tremendous return on the Commonwealth’s investment and has leveraged a cumulative $53 to $1 value leverage match of state funds; and
WHEREAS, many of Virginia’s finest corporations and organizations have made financial commitments to Rx Partnership during fiscal year 2006, including Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Bedford Community Health Foundation, Bon Secours Richmond Health System, Campbell-Hoffman Foundation, Carilion Foundation, Centra Health Foundation, Eli Lilly and Company, The Jenkins Foundation, Mary Washington Hospital Foundation, Medical Society of Virginia Foundation, Medical Society of Virginia, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Riverside Health System Foundation, Sentara Health Foundation, Sheltering Arms Fund of the Community Foundation, Williamsburg Community Health Foundation, and the Virginia Health Care Foundation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Rx Partnership on its outstanding service to the Commonwealth and its successful efforts to increase access to free prescription medications for Virginia’s uninsured citizens; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That Rx Partnership’s manufacturing partners, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and Abbott, be recognized for their many contributions and encouraged to continue their visionary support and generous donations of free prescription medications to this innovative public/private partnership; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That Rx Partnership’s private sector financial contributors be commended and encouraged to continue their support of Rx Partnership; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That other pharmaceutical manufacturers of both generic and branded medications, as well as Virginia’s other corporate citizens and philanthropic entities, be strongly encouraged to participate in Rx Partnership, contributing their resources and support to this invaluable private/public partnership; and, be it
RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to Rx Partnership and its partners GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and Abbott as an expression of the admiration and support of the General Assembly.