Monday, February 18, 2008

This picture was taken on Wednesday, February 13th at the Laramie County Centralized Pharmacy Grand Opening/Ribbon cutting. It was the culmination of over two years worth of hard work . It all began with the passing of the Surplus Medication Bill by our state legislature that would allow unused, unopened prescription medications to be collected and redispensed to those in need. The Cheyenne Community Clininc was chosen as the pilot site for the state early last year. With limited staff and the reliance on volunteers, the clinic was overwhelmed with donations. Through a collaborative effort with the Wyoming State Pharmacy, United Way, and the locala hospitall--along with many other human service agencies--we were able to secure funding, staff, and a location to house the community wide Laramie County Centralized Pharmacy Project. To date we havem already received in excess of $180,000 (at cost) of free meds and dispensed nearly $80,000 to those struggling to get the medications they need. I was honored to emcee the event It is a wonderful success story for our comunity. One that we hope to replicate in other Wyoming communities. Other states are keeping a close eye on what we are doing here in the Cowboy State. Our next push will be improving dental and vision services to the low-income, uninsured residents of our community. My guys were there to share this special night with me.