NC MedAssist will hold a free Over the Counter (OTC) Medicine Give Away Day in Shelby on Friday, April 28, 2017. The event, which is sponsored by Carolinas HealthCare System Cleveland, is open to any individual or family needing OTC medication. The give away will be held from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Shiloh Baptist Church (914 Frederick Street, Shelby, NC 28150). Identification is not required to participate.
"Carolinas HealthCare System is proud to sponsor the over the counter medicine give away in Cleveland County," said Carolinas HealthCare System Cleveland and Kings Mountain president, Brian Gwyn. "The OTC Give Away Day is expected to have a huge impact on the community. Our mission at Carolinas HealthCare System is to bring health, hope and healing to all and what better way than to partner with NC MedAssist to do so. We know that even with insurance, many individuals cannot afford OTC product."
This will be the second OTC event held in Cleveland County. In June 2015, NC MedAssist served over 600 individuals through a similar give away event. Individuals will receive $100 worth of OTC product which includes items such as allergy relief, pain relief, indigestion relief, cold medicine, first-aid and vitamins. NC MedAssist's overall goal is to help ease the burden for those who are making the choice between buying food or purchasing medication.
The OTC program relies on community volunteers. Serving over 1000 individuals in one day takes many hands to make sure the program runs smoothly and ensures that all patients are served before the door closes. NC MedAssist is collaborating with Carolinas HealthCare System Cleveland and Shiloh Baptist Church to recruit community members to serve in roles such as pharmacy consultation, client 'personal shoppers', and OTC sorters. If you would like to volunteer, please visit www.medassist.org to sign up.
"We are honored to bring an OTC Give Away Day back to Cleveland County, thanks to Carolinas HealthCare System," stated Executive Director Lori Giang. "NC MedAssist is excited to work with the community to give back to our neighbors in need. Through the OTC Give Away, we will be able to reach more and more individuals and educate them on our free pharmacy program resources. No one should go without medicine, and this program is enabling us to reach those who are unaware of our services."
Last fiscal year, NC MedAssist distributed more than $1.9 million dollars of donated OTC medication to North Carolina individuals and clinic partners. This fiscal year, the organization plans to distribute more than $2 million.
There are currently more than 6,000 adults in Cleveland County who live below the federal poverty level and do not qualify for insurance. For more information on the OTC Program and NC MedAssist, please visit www.medassist.org.