Two weeks ago, patients from the hurricane ravaged south transferred their HIV prescriptions to a Hospital Specialty Pharmacy in the north east. Back home, where they lost everything, their medications used to come through a national mail-order pharmacy.

When both patients moved they had nothing, leaving them without insurance and feeling unsure of where to turn to for care. A liaison, “Rodrique,” from the hospital pharmacy met with the couple during their initial visit to the HIV clinic and discussed the services that the hospital’s specialty pharmacy program could provide. Rodrique explained the financial assistance program that would help them both afford their co-pays as well as their mediation costs, the delivery service offered wherever they settled down, and the one-on-one refill process that the pharmacy offers, where they can speak to a liaison dedicated to them, every month regarding their refills. Their dedicated liaison would be the one person who knew their full story and could help them navigate care, medications, travel and more, whenever they needed it. The couple would also have the support of a clinical pharmacy team with special expertise in HIV treatments.

Having gone through so many life changing events, the last thing their pharmacy liaison wanted them to worry about was whether or not they had access to their medications. So their pharmacy liaison handed them both a card and asked them to keep in touch if they had any questions throughout the process. The couple was able to meet with financial counselors who got them approved for emergency Medicaid within 24 hours. The hospital specialty pharmacy received the scripts for their HIV medication on a Tuesday and the couple restarted their therapy on a Wednesday. Both are healthy and getting used to life in their new home.  From those of us living here in the north, welcome!