Program at Upstate Offers Drugs to Those in Need
In July 2025, Upstate opened a new prescription drug dispensary at the Outpatient Pharmacy at Community Hospital to help the uninsured and indigent receive medication they cannot afford. To be eligible, applicants must live in Onondaga County and be at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline and have no prescription insurance coverage.
Upstate receives medication from Dispensary of Hope, a national nonprofit drug distributor that takes billions of doses of excess drugs that would have otherwise been destroyed and disseminates them to nonprofit pharmacies and clinics.
Maintenance drugs included are those indicated to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stomach ulcers, and insulin, which can cost up to $300 per vial.
More than 17,000 people in Onondaga County are uninsured. Upstate’s Dispensary of Hope is the first chapter outside of New York City, where currently five operate.
Anyone interested should ask their healthcare providers to send their prescriptions to the pharmacy where personnel will screen them for eligibility.
For more information, visit www.upstate.edu, then type “Dispensary of Hope” in the search bottom on the right upper side.