Monroe, North Carolina, December 30th, 2009 - “How do you begin to say thank you to people who have given you your life back?” asks Bonnie Phifer, a 10-year client of HealthQuest. “I feel like I would not be alive if HealthQuest were not here.”

HealthQuest is a non-profit pharmacy that provides free maintenance medicines to eligible residents of Union, Anson and Stanly Counties in North Carolina and Chesterfield and Lancaster Counties in South Carolina. Last year, nearly 40,000 prescriptions with a combined retail value of $4.6 million were filled free of charge to 1,263 clients.

Phifer came to Monroe-based HealthQuest in 1999, suffering from multiple sclerosis, lupus, daily migraines, bleeding ulcers, anemia, acute asthma and depression. Her declining health had already forced her to leave a career as a licensed practical nurse, a role she had enjoyed for 20 years.

She learned about HealthQuest, just as it was formed, from her late father who was good friends with Carolinas Medical Center-Union Pharmacist Frank Cato, the motivation for HealthQuest. “I called and was accepted almost immediately.” Clients are accepted following a financial evaluation of income and expenses.

“I couldn’t do it without HealthQuest,” Phifer said. “If you are paying rent, car insurance, utility bills and just surviving financially, you don’t have any more to take care of your health. My prescriptions would take my whole Social Security check – and more!”

Now, after 10 years of consistent access to maintenance medications, Phifer says her health is under control. “These people gave me my life back in a lot of ways. Although I don’t have a day where I feel really, really well, I can get through each day because of the medications. I’ve gotten to the point where I can control my conditions.”

Phifer is grateful not only for the medicines, but for the way the staff has treated her. “They have never made me feel like a charity case,” she said. “I’m just another human being who is in need. “

HealthQuest of Union County was organized in 1999 through the cooperative efforts of Carolinas Medical Center-Union and community leaders after a feasibility study was conducted showing a very serious need for a free pharmacy. HealthQuest was created to provide maintenance medications to prevent unnecessary emergency room visits, avoidable re-hospitalizations, and preventable deterioration of health to residents without funds to purchase them and without prescription insurance.

HealthQuest originally operated out of the back of Franklin Street Ambulatory Clinic before building its own facility in 2006. Now located at 415 E. Franklin Street, HealthQuest can better serve their clients with adequate space and parking as well as a larger pharmacy area and private offices for client interviews.

HealthQuest provides free prescription drugs monthly to those at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level who are uninsured or underinsured. The non-profit organization limits each client to six prescriptions so that more residents can receive service. Many clients still must purchase some medications, but HealthQuest evaluates each client’s prescriptions to ensure that they receive the most expensive or the most critical prescriptions free.

Now celebrating 10 years of operation, HealthQuest is pleased to have provided over 338,000 prescriptions valued at over $32 million to program participants since the inception of their program.

HealthQuest has enjoyed strong and consistent support from Carolinas Medical Center-Union and the public in our service area. HealthQuest receives grant support from The Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina, The Duke Endowment, North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund, and Foundation for the Carolinas. HealthQuest is appreciative of the support of each of these groups as well as private donations received through local contributors.

Contact information: Breanne Marshburn, 704-226-2050, healthquestpharmacy.org