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Elderly
receive aid in buying medicine:
Erie
County group eases drug costs
By LUKE SHOCKMAN
Toledo Blade, May 12, 2003
Sandusky
- Orlin Maurer and his wife of 66 years, Evelyn, struggled to scrape
enough money together each month to pay for their diabetes medication.
"We were paying $500 to $600 a month. We were hitting the bottom of
the checkbook every month," said Mr. Maurer, 91, of Huron.
But thanks to a program run by the nonprofit "Serving Our
Seniors" organization in Erie County, Mr. Maurer and his wife are two
of 69 senior citizens receiving medications for a nominal monthly fee; in
most cases, about $10.
"We’re just so thankful for it. Now we can keep our heads above
water," Mr. Maurer said.
Serving Our Seniors was formed in 1996 and is funded by a countywide levy.
With an annual budget of $815,000, most of that levy money, the
organization provides a variety of senior services, including
home-delivered meals. In 1998, organization officials learned of a Bowling
Green State University study that showed 450 elderly residents of Erie
County were choosing between eating and buying medication.
Sue Daugherty, director of Serving Our Seniors, said officials saw that
and thought trying to line up free medications for 450 people might be
doable. Five years later, they’ve realized it’s not that easy. The
group has set aside about $56,000 to subsidize the free drug program and
has a waiting list of 114 residents.
Though the need is greater, it’s better than nothing, Ms. Daugherty
said.
"It’s a national problem, but everybody should try to do
something," she said. "If we all approach problems as, ‘Oh,
that’s too big to tackle,’ then nothing will change."
Serving Our Seniors is trying to develop other ways to assist seniors
beyond just subsidizing drugs. It acts as a resource center where Erie
County seniors can call and get information about prescription discount
cards, and the organization also helps seniors link up with free or
reduced-cost drug programs run by some drug manufacturers.
Erie County’s effort appears to be the only one like it in Ohio in that
it offers mostly free drugs to qualifying senior citizens. But another
northwest Ohio effort to help senior citizens get cheaper drugs began
March 31.
Spearheaded by Toledo City Councilman Wade Kapszukiewicz, the Northwest
Ohio Pharmacy Drug Network offers three basic services, all of which are
open to anyone. One service offers a free discount card, which provides
discounts on medication. The two other services are assistance in lining
up mail-order prescription drugs at cheaper rates from U.S. companies or
from Canada.
Mr. Kapszukiewicz, chairman of the network, said the savings often don’t
amount to large amounts of money, but like Mrs. Daugherty, he said it’s
better than nothing.
"No one’s going to buy a yacht with the money they save through our
program, but $5 here, $5 there, it adds up to a bag of groceries for
some," he said. "I’m glad to hear the folks in Erie County are
doing something like this.
"Because Washington and Columbus have turned their backs on us,
we’re not going to be able to solve the entire problem, but at least
it’s a start, and a step in the right direction," he said.
Mr. Kapszukiewicz said the Northwest Ohio Pharmacy Drug Network, which
relies on a cut of the discounts, not tax money, to fund its expenses, now
includes 13 communities.
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