DUBLIN, Ohio — For millions of Americans, the cost of prescription medications is forcing a difficult choice between daily necessities and essential care. Currently, more than four in 10 U.S. adults (43%) report they haven't taken their medication as prescribed over the past year due to cost, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy organization. This burden is especially great for those managing chronic health conditions such as diabetes or asthma. Without affordable access, patients frequently delay treatment, skip doses or forgo their prescriptions entirely, directly compromising their health and leading to poorer outcomes.
To help address these challenges, the Cardinal Health Foundation partnered with Ohio’s Charitable Healthcare Network (CHN) and St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy in Cincinnati, Ohio, to launch Equity Rx. The initiative increases access to medications and pharmacists’ care for uninsured and underinsured populations by connecting patients, charitable clinics and pharmacies.
This video highlights the need for and impact of Equity Rx.
In 2025, the Foundation expanded its commitment to Equity Rx, bringing its total investment to $5 million in ongoing support of the program’s goal to dispense 1 million prescriptions to underserved patients by 2030. Today, that goal is becoming a reality. Through a growing network of charitable pharmacies and clinics across Ohio and the country, Equity Rx is helping thousands of patients secure their prescriptions, improve medication adherence and better manage chronic conditions while establishing a scalable model for equitable care.
“Equity Rx continues to demonstrate the critical link between medication access, pharmacist counseling and improved health outcomes,” said Jessie Cannon, president of the Cardinal Health Foundation. “The progress our partners have achieved, both in Ohio and nationally, highlights the positive impact the program is making for thousands of patients across the country.”
From Ohio roots to national reach
Equity Rx began with a simple goal: increasing access to medications for people in need. Over time, that effort has evolved into a more comprehensive, sustainable model centered on regional charitable pharmacy “hubs” integrating pharmacists as essential members of the patient’s primary care team.
Beginning as a pilot in Southwest Ohio, St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy served as a central hub, filling and delivering prescriptions to CHN network organizations. Through this model, patients receive their medications for free during primary care visits while connecting directly with pharmacists who provide clinical counseling and support adherence. Building on this success, Equity Rx expanded to Northeast Ohio through Beacon Charitable Pharmacy in Canton, now extending free prescriptions and clinical pharmacy services to seven of CHN’s nearly 60 free clinics.
“Beyond providing essential medications like insulin and inhalers, Equity Rx pairs patients with clinical counseling to help them take control of their health,” said Rusty Curington, PharmD, vice president of pharmacy at St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy. “It gives people the peace of mind and security they need to manage their care.”
The success of the Ohio model led to national expansion through a partnership with the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC). To date, Equity Rx and related medication access grants have funded access to medications across 16 charitable clinics and pharmacies in 11 states, including Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Together, Equity Rx has dispensed more than 473,000 prescriptions nationwide. In Ohio, the program has achieved an 84% medication adherence rate, surpassing the national benchmark of 80%. That consistent care has also prevented an estimated $2.4 million in Ohio healthcare costs by reducing avoidable emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
Giving medications a second life
A key component of Equity Rx has been the development of the CHN Medication Access Program (CHN-MAP), Ohio's first statewide drug repository and distribution center. The repository serves as a central hub for donations of unused, non-controlled medications from nursing homes, long-term care pharmacies and individuals across Ohio. Medications are inspected by licensed pharmacists and redistributed to CHN network organizations, where they are provided to patients in need.
Over the past year, CHN-MAP has expanded its reach and capacity, distributing $6 million worth of medications to charitable pharmacies and free clinics across Ohio. It supplies critical inventory to partner sites throughout the state, including St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy, Beacon Charitable Pharmacy, Hope Clinic of Ross County in Chillicothe and CommunityCare Clinic in Toledo.
Enhanced facility space, automated robotic technology and dedicated staffing have also allowed CHN-MAP to grow its donation network to 28 healthcare organizations and 836 individual donors, generating $12.6 million in donated medications to support patients in need.
“The development of the CHN-MAP has enabled us to expand medication access across Ohio in ways that simply weren't possible before,” Curington said. “Instead of letting safe, unused medicine go to waste, we’re able to upcycle it directly to free clinics and get it into the hands of patients who need it most.”
Looking ahead
Over the coming year, Equity Rx will continue expanding its reach in Ohio and deepening its impact nationwide. Beacon Charitable Pharmacy will add two new free clinics to its Northeast Ohio network, while efforts to reach underserved patients in Southeast and Northwest Ohio are currently underway. At the same time, CHN and St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy will continue to enhance operational capacity for CHN-MAP, allowing more donated prescriptions to be sourced and redistributed statewide. Nationally, Equity Rx will broaden its access within its existing 11-state footprint by onboarding additional clinic partners to serve more patients in need.
“From the beginning, our goal with Equity Rx has been to make a meaningful, focused impact to help improve the lives of people every day,” said Jessica Mayer, chief legal and compliance officer at Cardinal Health and chair of the Cardinal Health Foundation Board. “As the program continues to expand, we are building a support model designed to last, ensuring that cost is never what stands between a patient and the care they need.”
Access to medication is often the difference between safely managing a chronic disease or illness and facing a health crisis. Equity Rx is mobilizing charitable pharmacies, free clinics and pharmacists to bridge that gap, turning collaboration into life-changing care for thousands of patients who cannot afford to wait.
