| A West Virginia Rx program is offering free prescription drugs to the eligible.
WV residents between 18 and 64 are eligible for free brand-name drugs if they make less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
A family of four with a yearly income of up to $44,000 may qualify.
They must also have no prescription drug coverage and not be enrolled in a government program like Medicaid or the VA.
The program gives people some financial breathing room to get back on their feet, said program director Brenda Dane.
"We get all kinds of people, single mothers and students who go to WVU, even some health-care providers," Dane said.
"We get people who have been laid off, who used to have a solid income or lost their money when the economy went bad. People working two jobs. People who've gone without their medicine so they could buy food or pay the rent."
So far the programs has enrolled 17,000.
Dane indicated health-care reform won't kick in for a couple of more years at best, if indeed such measures come from Congress.
"People need their medicine now," she said.
The medication does not cost patients or taxpayers a dime, and WVRx is not part of health-care reform.
WVRx distributes drugs for already-existing free-drug programs.
Nine drug companies stock WVRx with more than 100 commonly used brand-name drugs.
"WVRx cuts through a lot of red tape," Dane said. "You fill out one application, and you're eligible for a year. You get your medicine quickly."
The program is located at Health Right in Charleston, but people all over the state can enroll.
Doctors can register so they can send prescriptions electronically to WVRx for enrolled patients.
"WVRx is a great band-aid for a broken system," said Perry Bryant, director of West Virginians for Affordable Healthcare. "If the health-care system was working, we wouldn't need it, but it's a godsend for a lot of people."
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