Free Over-the-Counter-Medicine Give-Away Returns to Gaston County
NC MedAssist will hold a free Overt-the-Counter (OTC) Medicine Give Away
Day in Gastonia on Friday, June 9, 2017. The event, which is sponsored
byCaroMont Health and The Gaston County Department of Health and Human
Services,is open to any individual or family needing OTC medication. The
giveaway will be held from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm at the First United
Methodist Church in their Family Life Center (190 E. Franklin Blvd, Gastonia,
NC 28502). Identification is not required to participate.
“CaroMont Health is proud to co-sponsor the Over-the-Counter Medicine
Give-Away in Gaston County because of the tremendous impact it has on
the community,” said Andrea Serra, VP Community Care Services at
CaroMont Health. “Many people want to take a more proactive approach
with their health, and the giveaway helps these individuals fill their
medicine cabinets with basic items such as allergy, cold and flu medication,
as well as vitamins, and even Band-Aids.”
This will be the fifth OTC event held in Gaston County. In December 2016,
NC MedAssist served 577 individuals through a similar give away event.
Individuals will receiveapproximately $100 worth of OTC product which
includes items such as allergy relief, pain relief, indigestion relief,
cold medicine, first-aid and vitamins. NC MedAssist’s overall goal
is to help ease the burden for those who are making the choice between
buying food and purchasing medication.
“Together with NC MedAssist and CaroMont Health, our goal is to improve
community health by increasing access to health resources,” stated
Gaston DHHS Director Chris Dobbins. “We know that even with insurance,
many individuals still cannot afford critical OTC products like those
distributed during this event. We are thrilled that this partnership will
reduce barriers to health for our citizens.”
The OTC program relies on community volunteers. Serving close to 800 individuals
in one day takes many hands to make sure the program runs smoothly and
ensures that all patients are served before the door closes. NC MedAssist
is collaborating withthe CaroMont Health, the Department of Health and
Human Services and Gaston Family Health to recruit community members to
serve in roles such as pharmacy consultation, client ‘personal shoppers’,
and OTC sorters. If you would like to volunteer, please visit
www.medassist.org to sign up.
“We are honored to bring an OTC Give Away Day back to Gaston County,”
stated Executive Director Lori Giang. “NC MedAssist is excited to
work with the community to give back to our neighbors in need. Through
the OTC Give Away, we will be able to reach more and more individuals
and educate them on our free pharmacy program resources. No one should
go without medicine, and this program is enabling us to reach those who
are unaware of our services.”
Last fiscal year, NC MedAssist distributed more than $1.9 million dollars
of donated OTC medication to North Carolina individuals and clinic partners.This
fiscal year, the organization plans to distribute more than $2 million.
There are currently more than 14,000 adults in Gaston County who live below
the federal poverty level and do not qualify for insurance. For more information
on the OTC Program and NC MedAssist, please visit
www.medassist.org.
About NC MedAssist: Founded in 1997, NC MedAssist is a statewide non-profit pharmacy that
provides free prescription medicines to low-income, uninsured North Carolinians.
MedAssist offers three programs that address the needs of children and
adults: the Free Pharmacy program, the Over TheCounter (OTC) Medicine
program, and the Senior Care program. MedAssist dispenses more than $39
million worth of free prescription medication to 14,000 low-income North
Carolinians each year. To learn more about NC MedAssist and find out how
to get involved, visit
www.medassist.org.