The Hope Dispensary of the Southern Tier

Prescription medications are particularly costly and sometimes simply unaffordable for uninsured individuals, especially during difficult economic climates.

Yet these medications are necessary for all individuals—particularly those with chronic diseases—to manage their medical conditions and avoid costly emergency department care or hospital admissions. The Dispensary of Hope, a nonprofit that collects unused sample medications from physicians’ offices across the United States, was created to directly address this issue. Sample medications are then distributed to clinics and pharmacies that serve low-income and uninsured individuals throughout the United States and abroad. A community planning committee and coalition formed in the Southern Tier region of New York State developed plans for a pharmacy using the Dispensary of Hope’s model.

The committee approached the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) to request start-up funds to continue the formation and implementation of “The Hope Dispensary of the Southern Tier,” which they planned to administer through Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital, Inc. in Binghamton, New York.