The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, recently highlighted the work of the Dispensary of Hope, the country’s only fully licensed charitable medication distributor that works across the entire spectrum of healthcare. Dispensary of Hope began in 2003 when Nashville allergist, Dr. Bruce Wolf, put out a bin at Saint Thomas Health to collect unused, unexpired medicine to share with the needy. Saint Thomas is an Ascension ministry.
Dispensary of Hope now has a staff of 13 and helps about 280,000 people annually by redistributing donated medications throughout the U.S. to more than 80 sites, including federally qualified health centers, free clinics, and nonprofit, outpatient pharmacies. Among those served are the homeless, migrant and undocumented individuals, noncompliant patients, and those with limited health literacy.
The organization receives donations of medications – usually close to their expiration date – from drug manufacturers and distributors as well as more than 1,200 physician practices across the nation. Combined, these contributors donate more than $43 million (in average wholesale prices) in medications each year.
