PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION SURVEY REPORT

August 12, 2003

Access to Health Care Work Group

 The Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County, Inc.

535 Old Westminster Pike, Suite 102- Westminster, Maryland 21157

Contents:  
    Introduction  
    Responses  
    Survey  
 

Introduction: 

The Access to Health Care Work Group of The Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County, Inc. is examining barriers to consumer access to prescription medications.  This survey was created to gain information from the viewpoint of local providers/providers of prescription medications (see sample form and cover letter). The survey form was sent out on June 19th, 2003 to the following local prescribers/dispensers of prescription medications in Carroll County, Maryland:

             twenty-eight (28) local pharmacies,

thirty-six (36) mental health service providers,

one hundred and ninety (190) physicians,

eighty-two (82) dentists.

 Names and contact information for the survey mailing were gathered from within the Carroll County Health Department (physicians and dentists), Carroll County Core Service Agency (mental health providers), and from the local telephone directory and internet search (for pharmacies).

A total of 336 survey forms were sent.  At the time of this report, 64 responses were received. This indicates a response rate of nineteen percent (19%).

Most respondents to this survey (57 out of 64) were able to select programs and services from the list provided, which they or their office had used in efforts to help clients. Half of the respondents (32 out of 64) offered further information about issues and problems they had encountered in helping clients to obtain prescription medication. In some cases, the responses were quite detailed. Several of these more detailed comments, and one letter, are included verbatim in the final section of this report.
 

Responses:

1. 

“Type of provider (choose what best describes YOUR office, agency, or program):” 
  (listed in the same order as printed on the survey form)
     
  9 - Clinic (3 psychiatric)
  21 - Primary Care
  4 - Pharmacy
  0 - Social Service
  1 - Human Service
  3 - Emergency Room Acute Care
  0 - Case Management
     
  Specialty:
  3 - dentist or dental practice
  3 - psychiatry (l mental health group practice)
  4 - psychologist
  1 - pastoral counselor
  2 - mental health - social work - psychotherapy
  1 - pulmonary, sleep disorders & critical care
  1 - dermatology
  2 - oncology/hematology
  5  - ob/gyn
  1 - cardiology
  1 - neurology
  1 - no description
  1 - no response
     

2. 

“Do you manage an office or program that prescribes prescription medication for patients?”
   

 YES

 NO

 38

 26
   

3. 

“Does your office assist clients with obtaining or locating ways to help pay for prescription medication?”
   

 YES

 NO

 42

 22
   

4. 

“As a monthly average, TO HOW MANY clients do you make free prescription medication samples available?”
   

 “Don’t know”

 0 or N/A

 1 - 20

 21-100

 101-300

 301-500

 “A lot”

 “Too many to count”

 1

 24

 17

 15

 3

 1

 1

 2
     

5. 

“Do you ever ask your clients if they can afford the medications that they have been prescribed?”
   

 YES

 NO

 No response or N/A

 50

 11

 3
 

Prescription Medication Survey:

Access to prescription medication has been identified as a problem in Carroll County.  Please help us to better understand this problem. 

1.  Type of provider (choose what best describes YOUR office, agency, or program):

[  ] Clinic   [  ] Social Service [  ] Emergency Room Acute Care
[  ] Primary Care [  ] Human Service [  ] Case Management
[  ] Pharmacy [  ] Specialty ______________________________________________

2.  Do you manage an office or program that prescribes prescription medication for patients?

YES _____                NO            

3.  Does your office assist clients with obtaining or locating ways to help pay for prescription medication?

YES _____                NO            

4. As a monthly average, TO HOW MANY clients do you make free prescription medication samples available?

 

5.  Do you ever ask your clients if they can afford the medications that they have been prescribed?

YES _____                NO            

6.  To what programs or agencies do you refer clients for assistance with prescriptions?   (check all that apply)

[  ] Maryland Pharmacy Assistance [  ] Department of Veteran’s Affairs
[  ] Health Department [  ] Pharmaceuticals Research & Manufacturers of America
[  ] Mission of Mercy [  ] Maryland AIDS Drug Assistance
[  ] Maryland MedBank   [  ] Together Rx Program for Medicare enrollees
[  ] Shepherd’s Staff   [  ] Short-term Rx Drug Subsidy Plan  
[  ] Medical Assistance [  ] Other__________________________________________  

7.  Please list issues you are aware of that affect access to prescription medication in Carroll County  (i.e., time, office staff):

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 (continue on additional sheet if needed)

 

If you would like more information about the work of this group,  or a copy of the results of this survey, complete the following:

            Name: _________________________________________________________________________________

Agency: _______________________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________________

Telephone: ____________________________  

Email: __________________________________________

 THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP

Please return in the enclosed postage-paid envelope, or FAX to 410-871-6325