Gadsden Prescription Program Receives FundingAbout 15,000 Gadsden County residents are uninsured, but now a program working to help them, just received a boost themselves. Posted: 6:15 PM Sep 20, 2010 The PAMS or Prescription Assistance Medical Services program, has become vital for hundreds of Gadsden County residents. Under insured or those without insurance can go through a short application process. Once accepted, PAMS matches their prescription needs with pharmaceutical companies that offer the drug for free. Tanesha Thomas is a PAMS specialist and said, "A lot of people lost their jobs so that means no health insurance no prescription drug coverage people couldn't go to doctors hospitals." Maria Hernandez who also works as a specialist voiced her concern. "Some of them they have cancer," said Hernandez. "They can't afford to buy their own medications so they just let time pass by without taking their medications because they don't have the money." In 2009 almost 700 patients were enrolled in the PAM program, 1420 prescriptions written and $1,144,081.70 in prescription medications were received for free. With so much money being paid out, the Gadsden Community Health Council was looking for some aid themselves. They just got it from the county commission in the form of $82,000 that will come from the half cent sales tax. "We've had patients coming in here crying, thanking God for our service because it can be hard especially when your life depends on these medications, and you can't afford them ," said Thomas. "We can take some of that strain off of them by providing those drugs for free." The PAMS program has recently moved into office space at the senior center, for which, they say they are very grateful. They also say they appreciate the county commission for helping them continue to help residents. |
About one in every three people in Gadsden County are without health insurance and should they need medications, they may not be able to afford them.