SAN ANTONIO — Those in San Antonio don't have to pick and choose between rent, bills and medication anymore.
St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas is extending its free charitable pharmacy to San Antonio, now shipping prescription medication to those who need it most.
“The way we’ve set up this model, about 85% of the medications that we dispense are shipped directly overnight to individuals throughout the state," said Luis Gonzalez, CEO of St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas. "We have a very minimal number of patients that have to come in to come into the office and pick up the pharmacy, so it’s something that we can ship out to individuals.”
The charitable pharmacy offers medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, mental health and more. Twenty percent of the medications are donated from pharmaceutical companies, others are purchased through discounted retailers that have partnered with the organization.
"Our pharmacy is a licensed state pharmacy, just as a Walgreens or CVS, and so prescriptions are sent to us and then we’re able to go ahead, and fulfill those prescriptions and get those out again to the uninsured," Gonzalez explained.
Anyone who doesn't have health insurance, lives in Texas and whose household income is 300% or below the federal poverty level qualifies. For those who are houseless or don't have a permanent address, medication can now be picked up at Haven for Hope.
“One of the challenges we have with the homeless is that they don’t have a residency that we can ship medications to. In this case with Haven for Hope there is a place where we could potentially ship medications to and so that’s now the partnership we have with them," Gonzalez said. "We are dispensing medications that we’re sending them down for Haven for Hope and they will take care of getting those to the residents that we’re taking care of through the program.”
St. Vincent de Paul already has a working relationship with Haven for Hope.
For more information and for the application in both Spanish and English, click HERE.
>TRENDING ON KENS 5 YOUTUBE: