The accompanying photo is from October 2023 featuring St. Vincent De Paul’s team attending a Lunch ‘n’ Learn with our First Step and Next Step teams.
The Magdalen House is excited to highlight St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy for this quarter’s Spotlight! Pharmacy Director, Dr. Carlos Irula defines St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy as “a free, charitable pharmacy with the mission to share God’s love by providing free access to life-saving medications, free of charge to the uninsured.”
Located in the Northwest Community Center tucked in between the many branch clinics of Healing Hands Ministries, Dr. Irula’s small but mighty team offices out of a small unit filling out over 10,000 prescriptions a month. Only about 12% of their patients come in-person to pick their medications up. Rest of the medications are delivered to patients’ doorsteps.
About 52% of TMH clients have reported their status as uninsured at the time of their intake. This is not accounting many other potential clients who are unable to proceed past a phone screening due to their lack of 14-day supply of medications.
About 52% of TMH clients have reported their status as uninsured at the time of their intake. This is not accounting many other potential clients who are unable to proceed past a phone screening due to their lack of 14-day supply of medications. The state of Texas ranks last in affordability and care.[1] According to the Commonwealth Fund, in 2022, about 24% of Texan adults were uninsured which is twice the national average of 12% uninsured adults. Hence, The Magdalen House is especially appreciative of this partnership. With this partnership in place, we are able to bridge the gap so that there are no barriers to seeking recovery or long-term care. Not only does a client have access to their prescribed medications for the length they are in our First Step program as a St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy’s enrollee, but all SVdP Pharmacy patients are eligible for a year’s worth of free prescription refills until their eligibility status changes.The Magdalen House has also partnered with Agape Clinic for uninsured clients who do not have a prescription, that way an uninsured client is not only given a year’s worth of supply medications at no cost but also has direct access to primary care at a low cost.
With this partnership in place, we are able to bridge the gap so that there are no barriers to seeking recovery or long-term care. Not only does a client have access to their prescribed medications for the length they are in our First Step program as a St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy’s enrollee, but all SVdP Pharmacy patients are eligible for a year’s worth of free prescription refills until their eligibility status changes.
Dr. Irula notes that his team wouldn’t have the success that they have now without clinics or collaborations with partner organizations and we couldn’t agree more. We aim to go beyond referrals, for a sustainable and long-term access to both community and care for our clients and patients.
We aim to go beyond referrals, for a sustainable and long-term access to both community and care for our clients and patients.
Not only do these partnerships help our community directly through referrals and direct services, but these partnerships are also important to funding strategies for nonprofits. Dr. Irula notes a trend of “grants asking for how many MOU’s you have or how many partnerships you have within the local community” whereby identifying the “mutually beneficial partnership wherein both parties have an incentive in that partnership.”
To read more about St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy or find out whether you qualify for their services, visit svdpdallas.org/pharmacy.
