YesRx, with funding from Blue Cross-backed CQIs, helps patients with cancer get access to medication

There’s no debate — cancer treatment is costly. According to the American Cancer Society, studies show that 3 out of 4 people with cancer worry about how they will pay for their cancer treatment. But thanks to YesRx, a nonprofit launched in June 2023, health care providers across Michigan can help patients with cancer get help with medication access while reducing medication waste.

Michigan Public Act 416 of 2006 opened the door to this endeavor with the establishment of the Cancer Drug Repository, or CDR, Program. This law allows patients to donate eligible unused and unopened cancer medication and gives health care providers access to medication that can be redistributed to patients in need. YesRx connects and supports CDRs in Michigan through the YesRx Network. Currently consisting of 14 CDR programs and growing, the network is designed to reach people and communities across the state. Michiganders have donated cancer medications valued in the millions that providers have been able to redistribute to patients in need at no cost, according to YesRx.

Funding

Initial funding for the YesRx Network is through Trinity Health Michigan, the Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium and the Pharmacists Optimizing Oncology Care Excellence in Michigan. The funding for MOQC and POEM is provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan as part of the Value Partnerships program.

The MOQC and POEM support through Blue Cross provides funding needed to run CDRs in oncology practices that are YesRx Network members at no cost.

“We are pleased to see the advent of a system in Michigan that helps facilitate improving medication access to those in need, while at the same time eliminating medication waste,” said Dr. Amy Milewski, vice president for Clinical Partnerships and associate chief medical officer. “Through this innovative model, patients and their families are able to donate medications that they may not be able to use. Cancer patients will have enhanced access to medications they need, and increasingly these expensive medications will not be wasted. We applaud YesRx Network for their efforts.”

How it works

Health care providers who are members of the YesRx Network accept medication donations from patients or other individuals and then YesRx helps to transfer the donations for storage at statewide CDR pharmacy locations. Provider members in Michigan have access to available statewide CDR inventory, including oral cancer medication and supportive cancer medication.

CDR medication is free. Provider members can request medication from the statewide CDR inventory and, if available, YesRx funds the shipment of the medication from its statewide CDR pharmacy partner to the health care site, to be provided to the patient.

For more information

To learn more about YesRx, go to yesrx.org. To learn more about MOQC, POEM and other CQIs, visit the Collaborative Quality Initiatives section of Value Partnerships page on mibluedaily.com.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.