Tina Brophil helps a senior to find affordable medication

St. Johns County Council on Aging (COA) has served people on the northeastern coast of Florida for nearly 50 years. We recently spoke with Tina Brophil, the Prescription Assistance Coordinator. Like many other Rx Outreach partners, the COA organization offices had to close temporarily during the pandemic but the need for services did not diminish. We are proud to highlight Tina, who even met with people in her driveway so that they could get the medication that they needed.  

Can you tell us how the St. Johns County Council on Aging (COA)’s Prescription Assistance Program began and the services you provide?

I help people 55 and older to find free and discounted medications. This entails a lot of paperwork and coordinating between the patient, doctors’ offices, and pharmaceutical companies. Many of the free and reduced programs require a lot of information and every company has different eligibility guidelines so it can be very confusing.  My oldest client is 102 years old. Navigating this system is challenging for anyone, but especially older people. They just want to throw up their hands and give up but how would they be able to afford their medication? When someone reaches out to me about a prescription, I always review all their medications with them to see which ones have copays. We look for Patient Assistance Programs and then send some of the medications to Rx Outreach because it is less expensive than what they pay with Medicare Part D.

How did you get involved with the Prescription Assistance Program? 

My mother-in-law was living with my husband and I and since I was taking her to the Senior Center each day I offered to volunteer. They had just started the prescription assistance program, so I helped with that beginning in May 2003.  By August of the following year, I replaced the person running it, and am still here 19 years later!  

I read that the Prescription Assistance Program helped people to save over $3.4 million on their medications last year. Aren’t you the only person running the program?

Yes, it is just me! Our Prescription Assistance Program serves around 300 people each year. I use a great program called MedData Services, which has the ability to track cost savings, applications, refills and it pre-fills information which allows me to help more people. I couldn't do it if I had to handwrite each application.

When I first started helping people find free and discounted medications, there was no Medicare Part D and it was pretty easy to help people get the medications if they met the income qualifications and didn't have any prescription insurance.  As it became more complicated and time-consuming, some of my clients turned to programs that charged $50 a month to do the same thing that we offer at no charge. Just this morning, for instance, I was on hold for an hour with a company while trying to help a patient.

Your Prescription Assistance Program must be the gem of St. Johns County Council on Aging.

We have a wonderful organization here. We were named the top transportation department in the nation and operate two bus lines here in Saint Augustine. One bus brings people to their doctors’ appointments and our Sunshine bus essentially acts as the city bus line since there is not one here. We also have lunch programs, independent living services that help people to stay in their homes as long as possible, and lots of classes from yoga and dance to language classes. I even used to teach a greeting card class.

What keeps you motivated to keep helping people?

The patients and their families served by our Prescription Assistance Program are so grateful. Besides the patients, I work with caretakers and family members like the daughters and daughters-in-law. It doesn’t feel like a job because it's so rewarding.  I remember one gentleman used to call me his “drug angel!” It breaks my heart when a patient calls me and says they're prescribed this highly expensive medication and it will eat up so much of their life savings. They are generally on a fixed income and have to make a decision, “Am I going to pay my rent, am I going to buy my food, or am I going to buy my medicine?” Well guess what doesn’t win out?  It's my job to keep them from having to make that choice and help them not pay an arm and a leg for their medications.”

How does your partnership with Rx Outreach help your clients?

We've been getting meds from Rx Outreach since probably 2004 (before Rx Outreach became a separate non-profit) but it has been a huge blessing because I can easily manage things for my patients through the portal. I like knowing when people need refills and knowing the price upfront.  The 5% discount may not seem like a lot at first, but it really adds up and is so helpful for my clients. The price of medication keeps rising and I’m proud that the amount that we help people save has steadily increased. I'm just grateful for what I've been able to do over the last almost 19 years and thanks to Rx Outreach for your help.  It’s just comforting to know that our clients have someone in their corner that really cares. 

St Johns County Council on Aging is a private not-for-profit agency that has been serving St. Johns County older adults, their families, and caregivers since 1973. For more information, visit https://www.coasjc.org/