As the national health care debate has sparked public interest and created a foundation for local activity, it seems the perfect time to add a pro-patient bias, underscoring the profile of an uninsured working person. As part of the many services offered at The Hunger Coalition, patients can access pharmaceuticals at an on-site clinic or at Country Roads Rx, our mobile pharmacy. Country Roads Rx mobile unit, the first of its kind in the nation, provides free prescription medicine for the uninsured. This includes Medicare recipients, Medicaid recipients with chronic illness and disabilities, and the working poor. These free prescription services relieve an untenable situation, which force choice between medicine, food, heat and other necessities.
Volunteers are an integral part of every client interaction.
The free pharmacy in Boone, NC is operated completely by volunteers. The Country Roads Pharmacy has one paid staff pharmacist, everyone else volunteers. Pharmacy technicians are the greatest boon we have for they can fill prescriptions in this state, as long as a pharmacist checks every one before being dispensed. The time saved for the pharmacist to do patient counseling is wonderful. We enjoyed the support of 49 volunteers in October 1999 who donated 465 hours of invaluable time and talent.