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Amgen Foundation Funds Medicare Part D Outreach
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UCSF students explain Part D options to a Sacramento senior.
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For many older Californians, choosing from among the dozens of drug coverage plans available through Medicare Part D, the federal government's voluntary drug coverage program, can be a daunting task. Each of the plans has its own list of covered medications, co-pay amounts, monthly premiums, deductibles, and prior authorization process—making it difficult for even the most well-informed health care consumers to select their best option.
To address the urgent need to educate California's elderly on Medicare Part D, UCSF will partner with the Amgen Foundation to create "Partners in D," a collaborative outreach program that brings together pharmacy students, faculty members, and community pharmacists in an effort to serve Medicare-eligible adults, especially those from disadvantaged communities and those who speak and read little or no English.
Funded by a $3.7 million grant from the Foundation, the three-and-a-half year initiative will leverage the talents of UCSF pharmacy students with diverse backgrounds and language skills to provide one-on-one assistance to seniors in pharmacies and community outreach sessions. It will also train students from other health care professions, including medicine and nursing, to help seniors navigate Medicare Part D.
" 'Partners in D' represents the essence of what our Foundation stands for: advancing education, improving quality of care and access for patients, and creating sound communities," says Jean Lim, president of the Amgen Foundation. "We support this program because it clearly takes full advantage of a diverse student body and encourages a spirit of collaboration."
Through the grant, UCSF will also help California's six other schools of pharmacy implement the program so that they can, in turn, educate seniors in their local communities about Medicare Part D. Ultimately, "Partners in D" could serve as a model of collaboration for schools of pharmacy nationwide.
" 'Partners in D' is a shining example of our School's commitment to developing new and ever better ways of caring for the pharmacy needs of the public, serving the underserved, and working across health care disciplines," says School of Pharmacy Dean Mary Anne Koda-Kimble, PharmD. "We are extremely grateful to the Amgen Foundation for making this program possible."
For information on supporting the UCSF School of Pharmacy, contact Marie Parfitt Pattie at 415/476-9806 or mppattie@support.ucsf.edu.
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