Virginia Budget Debate Could End Prescription Drug Program

A budget impasse in the Virginia General Assembly is threatening the funding of a state-sponsored program that helps low-income residents in the southwest portion of the state obtain prescription drugs through free programs offered by "major" drug manufacturers, the AP/Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. Last year, the assembly allocated $371,000 to create Pharmacy Connect, a not-for-profit program that has led to $5.7 million in prescription drug savings for low-income residents. But unless the state House and Senate resolve differences regarding a reduction in the state's car tax, the program's funding will cease on June 30. Marilyn Maxwell, director of Mountain Empire Older Citizens Inc., the Richmond-based agency that oversees the program, said, "This is a real heartbreaker. We don't want to close up shop, but we might have to. As of today, we've found no other funding sources for our program." Maxwell projected that the agency could serve 6,000 people next year if funding is reapproved. She added that even in the absence of Pharmacy Connect, residents may still participate in the free pharmaceutical programs, but since each company has different requirements, "finding the right program is a complicated process" (AP/Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/26).