DUBLIN, Ohio – The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC), with funding from the Cardinal Health Foundation, announced on Wednesday nine Equity Rx grantees to help the uninsured and underinsured access their prescription medications. The grantees, free and charitable clinics and pharmacies across seven states, will significantly expand the Equity Rx program, an initiative that was created in Ohio through a partnership of the Cardinal Health Foundation, the Charitable Healthcare Network and St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy.
Support from the Cardinal Health Foundation and NAFC expanded Equity Rx nationally in 2024. Part of Cardinal Health Foundation’s $5 million commitment to Equity Rx, the latest round of funding awards a share in $1.6 million to charitable clinics and pharmacies that received funding during that initial phase of expansion and several that are new to the program:
- The Good Samaritan Health Center (Atlanta, GA)
- Will-Grundy Medical Clinic (Joliet, IL)
- Cape Fear Clinic (Wilmington, NC)
- The Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio (Columbus, OH)
- Community Volunteers in Medicine (West Chester, PA)
- Volunteers in Medicine (Wilkes-Barre, PA)
- Clinica Esperanza/Hope Clinic (Providence, RI)
- Siloam Health (Nashville, TN)
- NOVA ScriptsCentral (Falls Church, VA)
“Through the Equity Rx program, we are not only improving access to essential medications but are also strengthening the very foundation of community health,” said Nicole Lamoureux, President and CEO of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. “We are deeply grateful to the Cardinal Health Foundation for their continued partnership and investment in equitable care for patients who often have nowhere else to turn.”
Equity Rx National Pilot
Launched nationally last year, the Cardinal Health Foundation and NAFC awarded $45,000 grants to establish Equity Rx programs in 10 free and charitable clinics across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Illinois. These initial grantees developed community-specific strategies to improve prescription medication access, including integrating pharmacists into their healthcare teams and providing Medication Therapy Management (MTM), pharmacist-provided services that help optimize patient outcomes.
“Cardinal Health is deeply committed to addressing health equity and ensuring that all people have access to the medications they need,” said Jessie Cannon, President of the Cardinal Health Foundation. “Our support of the NAFC on the national expansion of the Equity Rx program is a notable step forward in this mission, and we are proud to work with them to help strengthen the charitable care network across the country.”
In its first year, the Equity Rx program successfully reached more than 11,100 patients, delivered more than 145,000 prescription medications, and conducted over 170 MTM sessions. Participating clinics reported impressive improvements in medication adherence rates, ranging from 75%–90%, a substantial increase from baseline rates as low as 30% before the program began.
“The NAFC and Cardinal Health Foundation are deeply aligned in our missions to promote equitable healthcare access,” Lamoureux said. “This partnership allows us to expand the reach of Equity Rx so that no patient goes without the medications they need to manage chronic conditions and live a healthy life.”
Equity Rx seeks to address the considerable and growing barriers to medication access. For example, drug costs prevent about 29% of people from filling their needed prescriptions, according to GoodRx. In addition, the 2025 NAFC Data Survey reveals that 81% of free and charitable clinics and pharmacies are experiencing rising patient demand, while many charitable pharmacies operate with limited infrastructure, staffing and funding.
Expanding Equity Rx
This next phase of Equity Rx, bolstered by the Cardinal Health Foundation's total investment of $5 million to date, aims to significantly scale the program's reach and impact. With a goal of dispensing 1 million prescriptions by 2030 to patients who could otherwise not afford them, key objectives include:
- Providing grants to charitable pharmacies and clinics with integrated pharmacy services to expand local medication access.
- Supporting high-performing Year 1 grantees with sustainable funding to transition pilot programs into long-term, scalable services.
- Investing in program infrastructure, including dedicated staff for technical assistance, learning collaboratives, and compliance efforts.
- Revamping a national Charitable Pharmacy Playbook to share best practices and promote a replicable model across the country.
- Hosting virtual and in-person learning collaboratives to enhance clinical and operational excellence among participants.
“Equity Rx is building a sustainable foundation for medication access that is community-driven, data-informed and rooted in equity," Cannon said. “The program is helping to improve health outcomes and strengthening the broader charitable care network.”
