Some nine million Americans can’t afford to buy the medications they have been prescribed. Meanwhile, nearly $11 billion worth of prescription drugs is disposed of every year in the U.S., according to KFF Health News.
A ministry in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is trying to use some of that surplus to serve people in need. Open Bible Medical Clinic and Pharmacy is a Christian, volunteer-run nonprofit that provides free medical care and medications to uninsured, low income adults in the Pikes Peak Region.
The clinic operates Colorado’s only drug donation program, with most of the donated medications coming from nursing homes, pharmacies or healthcare facilities. Qualified patients pay a $15 annual registration fee for access to an impressive menu of medications.
The clinic is a ministry of Open Bible Baptist Church, which describes itself as “a multicultural, multi-generational, economically diverse church of spiritually mature, ministry-focused, disciple-making followers of Jesus Christ.” The church also runs a food pantry, and many members serve these outreaches.
Jeff and Frieda Martin, Open Bible Church’s senior pastor and his wife, lead the church and the clinic. Jeff Martin worked as a firefighter for 32 years.
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The Martins began planning for the clinic in 2002, and it officially opened in 2005. The pharmacy opened three years later. It is financed by donations from individuals and a few grants and is supported by a host of partner organizations.
Volunteer physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, medical support, counselors, pharmacists, and pharmacy techs provide services to patients.
The Pikes Peak Baptist Association and the Colorado Baptist State Convention have contributed with funding, as have many local churches and individual private donors. Additional funds are raised through the sale of coffee.
The clinic partners locally with Dream Center of Colorado Springs and other charities to coordinate services.
Nationally, it partners with National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, a network founded in 2001 that now connects 1,400 clinics treating the many Americans who “fall through the cracks.”
A national organization named SIRUM (Supporting Initiatives to Redistribute Unused Medicine) partners with free and charity clinics by soliciting and distributing donated drugs. SIRUM says it has redistributed more than $200 million worth of medications since it was founded by Stanford University students in 2009.