Access to medicine a key concern in western North Carolina after Helene

Damage caused by Helene meant shipments of everything from cold medicine to life-saving insulin could not reach their destinations in western North Carolina. 

Following the storm, some organizations rushed to ensure over-the-counter and prescription medicines washed away by the floods could be refilled and stay filled.

As soon as it was safe to do so, staff from NC MedAssist, a Charlotte-based nonprofit pharmacy that provides patients with free medicine, took to the region to meet the need.

Danny Szemple is the manager of partner relations for the organization and an Asheville resident. He was on the ground from day one reaching out to local pharmacies, fire departments and even libraries in search of people who needed access to medicines they'd lost.

Damaged roads and limited communication presented new hurdles but Szemple said access to health care in rural areas has always been complicated. 

"Some of those barriers right now are some of the same that they were before the hurricane," Szemple said. "Things like the high, high cost of OTC and prescription medicine, not having insurance and in some cases having insurance there is no guarantee of accessibility. Access to local health care providers, especially specialists and transportation in rural areas is a challenge." 

Szemple said NCMedAssist has provided more than $400,000 worth of medicine to residents in western North Carolina. 
 

Santiago Ochoa covers healthcare for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. Follow him on X: @santi8a98