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2010 SESSION

10101193D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 146
Offered January 13, 2010
Prefiled January 13, 2010
Commending Virginia's Rx Partnership and its partners.
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Patron-- Jones
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WHEREAS, Virginia’s Rx Partnership and its partners are recognized for their outstanding service to the Commonwealth and their innovative and successful provision of free medications for Virginia’s uninsured citizens; and

WHEREAS, more than one million Virginians are uninsured and have little or no access to affordable health care, and these citizens have no access to prescription medications; and

WHEREAS, the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Joint Commission on Health Care helped initiate Rx Partnership in 2003 as a public-private partnership to increase access to prescription medications for Virginia’s eligible uninsured; and

WHEREAS, Rx Partnership is a freestanding, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that serves as a broker to solicit free prescription medications from pharmaceutical companies and arranges for their distribution to affiliate free clinics and community health centers with licensed pharmacies, which it credentials, monitors, and audits; and

WHEREAS, in communities in which no community-based clinic with a licensed pharmacy exists or in which one central pharmacy can more effectively serve multiple clinics, Rx Partnership has fostered and assisted in the development of several central-fill pharmacy programs; and

WHEREAS, the Rx Partnership’s model is an innovative, efficient, and cost-effective process for providing vital prescription medication quickly to patients in need; and

WHEREAS, during the past five years, Rx Partnership has helped fill more than 150,000 prescriptions and has helped more than 25,000 eligible, uninsured, chronically ill patients at 20 affiliate free clinics and community health centers; and

WHEREAS, Rx Partnership’s six current manufacturing partners have generously donated 104 medications in 360 dosage strengths, with an estimated retail value in excess of $32 million; and

WHEREAS, Rx Partnership provides a unique approach to prescription medication assistance and was recognized as a National Merit Finalist for Mutual of America’s Community Partnership Award for 2008 - 2009 and a Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation in 2007; and

WHEREAS, Rx Partnership was instrumental in requesting and receiving a landmark ruling on prescription medication assistance from the Office of the Inspector General in 2008; and

WHEREAS, Rx Partnership provides a tremendous return on the Commonwealth’s investment and has leveraged a cumulative $70 for every $1 match of state funds; and

WHEREAS, many of Virginia’s finest corporations and organizations have made financial commitments to Rx Partnership during fiscal year 2009, including Bedford Community Health Foundation, Carilion Foundation, Centra Health Foundation, Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, Impact Makers, Jenkins Foundation, Mary Washington Hospital Foundation, Medical Society of Virginia Foundation, Medical Society of Virginia, Mutual of America Foundation, Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, Riverside Health System Foundation, Robins Foundation, Sentara Health Foundation, Williamsburg Community Health Foundation, and the Virginia Health Care Foundation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Virginia’s Rx Partnership and its partners on their outstanding service to the Commonwealth and their successful efforts to increase access to free prescription medications for Virginia’s uninsured citizens; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That Rx Partnership’s current manufacturing partners, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Abbott, Alcon, and sanofi-aventis U.S., be recognized for their many contributions and encouraged to continue their visionary support and generous donations of free prescription medications and that other pharmaceutical manufacturers may also be encouraged to participate in this innovative program; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That Rx Partnership’s private sector financial contributors be commended and inspired to continue their support and that the Commonwealth’s other corporate citizens and philanthropic entities may also be encouraged to participate by contributing resources and support to this valuable public-private partnership; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to Virginia’s Rx Partnership and its partners, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Abbott, Alcon, and sanofi-aventis U.S., as an expression of the admiration and support of the General Assembly.