Direct Relief, the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC), and Teva Pharmaceuticals today launched a new program to expand medication access and provide grant funding to free and charitable clinics that care for medically underserved patients diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety. Teva is providing free and charitable clinics with $2 million in grant funding over two years and making available, on a charitable basis, a portfolio of commonly used generic medications that treat depression and anxiety. The new pilot program – initially set in Florida, New Jersey and California – aims to advance access to mental health care for uninsured populations.
“Access to mental health care is critical yet distributed unevenly across the U.S.,” said Thomas Tighe, CEO and President of Direct Relief. “Direct Relief is joining NAFC and Teva Pharmaceuticals in supporting community-based facilities to extend mental health care for those most in need.”
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated access to adequate health services and mental health care needs. The new initiative will help address mental health access through a two-pronged approach to care: medication donations and community grants for free and charitable clinics, to help address key equity issues and advance quality care for underserved populations.
Products will be available to free and charitable clinics and pharmacies in Direct Relief’s network. NAFC will help identify and evaluate programs eligible for grants and facilitate a community of learning between grantee clinics.
“Free and Charitable Clinics are beacons in their communities where access to affordable prescription medications and flexible funding resources are obstacles faced every day,” said Nicole Lamoureux, President and CEO of NAFC. “With this program, we hope to reduce barriers to care for underserved populations by working with grantees to identify innovative, scalable ideas and approaches that enhance mental and behavioral health care access, particularly as the pandemic continues to spotlight severe inequities in care.”
Expanding Access and Delivering Care
Anxiety and depression disorders affect more than 40 million adults in the U.S. every year. Additionally, 84 percent of physicians reported an increase in new diagnoses of mental health conditions since the pandemic began, especially among racial and ethnic minorities and lower-income households, according to a recent nationwide survey by the Morehouse School of Medicine and Teva.
“As a company responsible for 1 in 12 generic prescriptions in the U.S. with our portfolio of accessible medicines, it is critical to our mission to help increase access to quality care,” added Dr. Sven Dethlefs, Executive Vice President, North America Commercial, at Teva. “Through this partnership with Direct Relief and NAFC, we are committed to reducing the disparities in health care that are hindering health equity by uncovering novel solutions that improve the lives of patients, their families and their communities.”
Teva’s support for the U.S. Access program stems from its public commitment to launch eight global access programs by 2025. In 2020, the company’s generic medicines directly saved U.S. patients an estimated $4.2 billion.
Grant Funding for Critical Facilities
As of today, Direct Relief will accept proposals from eligible free and charitable clinics and charitable pharmacies, that are members of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, in California, Florida, and New Jersey. Specifically, Direct Relief seeks innovative programs that advance health equity for populations with high unmet needs, support patient education and outreach, service delivery, or point of care models to help promote access or reduce barriers to care. Proposals must address clinical or non-clinical interventions for treating depression and anxiety for populations, including racial and ethnic minorities and LGBTQIA+ individuals. Eligible clinics will be contacted directly by Direct Relief.
