Direct Relief's Activities in United States

Response to a Growing Need

More than 46 million people in the United States are uninsured and struggle to access affordable medical care and medicines. ¹ In 2004, Direct Relief launched a safety-net support program to address this need at home. To date, the program—the largest of its kind in the U.S.—has provided more than $140 million (wholesale) worth of medicines and supplies to more than 1,000 partner clinics and health centers in the U.S. That assistance includes more than 6 million needed prescriptions.

Safety-net health centers and clinics provide quality care at little or no cost to the patient. Affordable access to medical care is critical for people who can't make ends meet financially, whether they are working or not. Patients seen through these facilities are on a very tight budget—for example, a family of four would have an annual income of less than $40,000.

Support for the Safety Net

With product and in-kind donations from medical manufacturers and corporations, Direct Relief USA provides aid to clinics across the U.S. Assistance is efficiently apportioned and carefully screened by Direct Relief's two pharmacists on staff, matching inventory with items a facility specifically requests. FedEx then transports the shipment as an in-kind donation. Direct Relief USA intends to scale up its support to U.S. safety-net healthcare facilities, with a bulk replenishment program now in the pilot stage.

Direct Relief USA is particularly well-suited to provide medical aid throughout the U.S.

• Its trusted network of partners includes associations at the national, state, and local level.
• The organization is a licensed wholesale pharmacy distributor in 48 states; it has been licensed in California since 1962
• It handles donated medicines in compliance with the most stringent national standards as the only nonprofit organization to be a VAWD Accredited wholesale pharmacy distributor.
  

Nimble in an Emergency

Direct Relief USA responds efficiently to emergencies across the U.S. The largest response to date has been to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, totalling more than $46 million in aid and cash grants. Direct Relief USA pharmacist Ruth Smarinsky participated on the Texas Health Commissioner's Blue Ribbon Task Force on hurricane preparedness, created after Hurricane Rita.

While emergencies can't always be predicted, preparation facilitates a nimble response. Since 2007, Direct Relief USA has provided Hurricane Preparedness Modules to Gulf State clinics, and worked with FedEx to enhance emergency communications in California, which was called into service during the San Diego Wildfires in 2007. 

Featured Work

Helping Asthma Patients Get the Medicines They Need
Asthma affects more than 15 million people in the U.S., and uninsured patients often can't afford their necessary medicines. In 2007, Direct Relief distributed asthma inhalers donated by Schering-Plough to more than 1,000 health clinics throughout the country.  More »

Action Before an Emergency: Direct Relief Assists Nonprofit Safety-Net Clinics Prepare for the Hurricane Season
The National Weather Service predicts an active 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. In preparation, Direct Relief has strengthened ties with the network of nonprofit safety-net clinics along the Gulf Coast that proved to be essential points of access for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita three years ago.  More »

Local Support: Santa Barbara County Programs
Supporting our home community has always been a priority for Direct Relief, from addressing unmet dental health needs, assisting the homeless, and helping our local schools prepare for a natural disaster.  More »

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Response and Ongoing Support
Nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast, Direct Relief continues to support clinics in the region, providing more than $31 million in direct aid to healthcare partners comprised of $26.8 million (wholesale) in medical material aid and $4.5 million in targeted cash investments.  More »