Cardinal Health Foundation expands Equity Rx to increase access to prescription medications, bringing total investment to $5M

Rhea-AI Summary

Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) has announced a significant expansion of its Equity Rx program with an additional investment, bringing the total commitment to $5 million. The initiative, launched in 2023, aims to increase access to prescription medications for those who cannot afford them.

The expanded program includes the development of Ohio's first statewide prescription drug repository and distribution center, operated by St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy. The repository, expected to be fully operational by 2027, will collect, sort, and distribute donated medications at no cost to charitable healthcare networks.

The program has already established operations in 10 charitable clinics across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Illinois, helping thousands of patients access free medications. This expansion addresses a critical healthcare gap, as approximately 29% of people cannot afford to fill their prescriptions.

Positive

• Total investment increased to $5 million, demonstrating strong commitment to healthcare accessibility
• Program expansion from pilot to 10 charitable clinics across 4 states
• Development of Ohio's first statewide prescription drug repository to efficiently distribute donated medications
• Partnership with National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) enabling multi-state expansion

Negative

• Repository facility won't be fully operational until 2027, indicating a lengthy implementation timeline
• Program currently limited to only 4 states despite nationwide medication affordability crisis

Grant funds will also launch the development of Ohio's first statewide prescription drug repository

DUBLIN, Ohio, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) announced today the expansion of Equity Rx, to help meet the needs of people across Ohio and beyond who cannot afford their prescription medications. Launched as a pilot in Ohio in 2023, Equity Rx was created through a partnership of the Cardinal Health Foundation, the Charitable Healthcare Network (CHN) (an Ohio charitable healthcare organization) and St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy in Cincinnati, Ohio. With this most recent grant, the Foundation has invested a total of $5 million in Equity Rx.

The Foundation's recent grant funds will enable:

• Expansion of the southwest Ohio pilot project into the northeast and southeast quadrants of the state, as well as in three additional states with the partnership of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC).
• Development of Ohio's first statewide prescription drug repository and distribution center, where donated medications will be sorted, inventoried, catalogued and prepared for distribution at no cost to the CHN network organizations.

Seventy percent of U.S. adults take at least one prescription daily and 24% take four or more.¹ However, drug costs prevent about 29% of people from filling their needed prescriptions,² highlighting a critical need for affordable access. The need is especially great for those living with chronic conditions, like diabetes, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who need medications to manage their diseases and avoid complications.

"Equity Rx ensures patients in need can get their medications when they need them, while also providing access to pharmacists who can counsel them on health issues, medication adherence and more," said Jessie Cannon, President of the Cardinal Health Foundation. "We are proud to expand our investment in Equity Rx, helping to ensure that more patients can live healthy lives."

Building on a successful pilot
In the first phase of the program, CHN established an Equity Rx fund and partnered with St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy to expand medication access to free clinics in southwest Ohio. St. Vincent de Paul fills and delivers prescriptions to charitable clinics for on-site dispensing, allowing patients to receive medications directly during their primary care visits. Support from the Foundation and the NAFC expanded the program, establishing Equity Rx programs in 10 charitable clinics across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Illinois. Collectively, Equity Rx has helped thousands of patients access free medications.

"Everyone should be able to access the medications and care they need," said Jason Koma, executive director of the Charitable Healthcare Network. "There are many barriers that prevent this, but Equity Rx is helping to remove them, providing a real opportunity to revolutionize medication access for patients in Ohio and, ultimately, replicate the program nationally."

Launching Ohio's first statewide drug repository
"Millions of dollars' worth of safe, unexpired medications are wasted each year in nursing homes and long-term care facilities," said Rusty Curington, PharmD and vice president of pharmacy at St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy. "Our vision is to create a streamlined, statewide drug repository where anyone can easily donate unused medications. The repository will safely upcycle donated medications and send them to free clinics and charitable pharmacies, which will help expand access to care across Ohio."

St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy will house the new statewide prescription drug repository, which will be created in partnership with the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy. During the two-year innovation phase, a portion of the new Foundation grant dollars will be used for start-up technologies and operations for the repository. The facility is expected to be fully operational in 2027.  

"The partnership with Equity Rx came at a time when the Foundation was focused on making a greater, more focused impact that was also aligned to our mission and the communities we serve," said Jessica Mayer, chief legal and compliance officer at Cardinal Health and chair of the Cardinal Health Foundation Board. "Rusty and Jason came to us at the right time because Equity Rx allows us to do both. Supporting this program is a powerful way for us to live Cardinal Health's mission of improving the lives of people every day."

About Cardinal Health
Cardinal Health is a distributor of pharmaceuticals and specialty products; a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products; a supplier of home-health and direct-to-patient products and services; an operator of nuclear pharmacies and manufacturing facilities; and a provider of performance and data solutions. Our company's customer-centric focus drives continuous improvement and leads to innovative solutions that improve people's lives every day. Learn more about Cardinal Health at cardinalhealth.com and in our Newsroom. 

Contacts
Media: Michelle Leitzy, michelle.leitzy@cardinalhealth.com, 614.757.1282
Investors: Matt Sims, matt.sims@cardinalhealth.com, 614.553.3661

References:

¹ Andrew Gallant, "A growing number of Americans report taking prescription medications daily," Civic Science, January 11, 2023. https://civicscience.com/a-growing-number-of-americans-report-taking-prescription-medications-daily/#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20U.S.%20adults,from%2018%25%20to%2024%25

² Tori March, "Nearly a third of Americans aren't filling their prescriptions because of high costs, April 2, 2025,  https://www.goodrx.com/healthcare-access/research/third-of-americans-dont-fill-prescriptions-due-to-cost?srsltid=AfmBOopeXVW-ErDB8kpmWwq6JxxUV8wyF2ycFzJP5AfhRNttxzmjuOrT. Accessed June 23, 2025.

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SOURCE Cardinal Health

FAQ

What is Cardinal Health's (CAH) Equity Rx program and how much has been invested?

Equity Rx is Cardinal Health's initiative to provide affordable prescription medications to those in need. The company has invested a total of $5 million in the program through the Cardinal Health Foundation.

When will Cardinal Health's Ohio statewide prescription drug repository be operational?

The statewide prescription drug repository is expected to be fully operational in 2027, following a two-year innovation phase.

How many states are currently participating in Cardinal Health's Equity Rx program?

The Equity Rx program currently operates in 4 states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Illinois, with services provided through 10 charitable clinics.

What percentage of people cannot afford their prescriptions according to Cardinal Health?

According to the press release, approximately 29% of people are prevented from filling their needed prescriptions due to drug costs.

How will Cardinal Health's prescription drug repository work?

The repository will collect unused medications from nursing homes and long-term care facilities, then sort, inventory, and distribute them at no cost through the Charitable Healthcare Network (CHN) organizations.