Cmap Express

THE CENLA MEDICATION ACCESS PROGRAM (CMAP), BASED IN ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA, WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2001 AND PROVIDES CHRONIC CARE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THEM. CMAP'S GOAL IS TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE MEDICATION ACCESS AND EDUCATION AND ALSO PROMOTE OTHER PREVENTIVE HEALTH PRACTICES AMONG RESIDENTS WITH LIMITED INCOMES. IN 2023, CMAP FILLED 13,145 FREE PRESCRIPTIONS AT A WHOLESALE PRICE OF $10.5 MILLION. ADDITIONALLY, CMAP ASSISTED 473 INDIVIDUALS GAIN ACCESS TO FREE MEDICAL SCREENINGS FOR BREAST, COLORECTAL AND CERVICAL CANCERS, COACHED 413 CLIENTS AS PART OF ITS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PROGRAM. CMAP'S ACTIVITIES AS DESCRIBED ARE CARRIED OUT FOR THE BENEFIT OF ITS SUPPORTED ORGANIZATION, THE RAPIDES FOUNDATION.

MEDICATION ACCESS PROGRAMS -- CMAP'S PATIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (PAP) LOCATES CMAP STAFF NEAR PHYSICIAN OFFICES THROUGHOUT CMAP'S PRIMARY NINE-PARISH SERVICE AREA. THESE PAP SPECIALISTS COMPLETE APPLICATIONS FOR PATIENTS WHO ARE UNABLE TO AFFORD THEIR MEDICATION TO RECEIVE FREE CHRONIC CARE MEDICATIONS THROUGH DRUG MANUFACTURERS' PATIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. PATIENTS ALSO RECEIVE MEDICATIONS AND DIABETIC SUPPLIES THROUGH CMAP'S CENTRAL FILL PHARMACY, WHICH AS OF END OF 2023 HAD CONTRACTS TO WORK WITH AND PROVIDE PHARMACEUTICALS FROM THIRTEEN MAJOR COMPANIES. ADDITIONALLY, RAPIDES REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER (RRMC) CONTRACTS WITH CMAP TO PROVIDE OUTPATIENT PHARMACY SERVICES TO THE PATIENTS OF OUTPATIENT CLINICS SERVING THE INDIGENT. DURING 2023, CMAP PROVIDED 13,145 FREE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS TO PATIENTS, REPRESENTING A WHOLESALE COST SAVINGS OF $10.5 MILLION.CMAP EXTRA, A PRESCRIPTION-SAVINGS PROGRAM DESIGNED TO HELP LOWER FAMILIES' MEDICATION COSTS, IS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF AGE OR INCOME. DURING 2023, 148 PRESCRIPTIONS WERE FILLED, FOR A TOTAL RETAIL SAVINGS OF $24,735.

CMAP'S HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PROGRAM PROVIDES DEMONSTRATION AND EDUCATION ON PROPER NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR GOOD HEALTH AND IS DESIGNED TO FIGHT OBESITY IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA. THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM, THROUGH PHYSICIAN REFERRAL, COMMUNITY TOOLS, AND WORKPLACE EDUCATION, IS TO PROVIDE CENTRAL LOUISIANA RESIDENTS WITH RESOURCES TO LEAD HEALTHY LIFESTYLES. THIS PROGRAM IS COORDINATED BY A REGISTERED AND LICENSED DIETITIAN AND EMPLOYS AN EXERCISE SPECIALIST. CLIENTS RECEIVE ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATION WITH THE DIETITIAN AND EXERCISE SPECIALIST FOR PERSONALIZED MEAL PLANNING AND EXERCISE. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO WORK WITH CLIENTS FOR AT LEAST 3 TO 6 MONTHS, TRACKING THEIR PROGRESS WITH EATING HABITS, BEHAVIOR CHANGES, WEIGHT AND INCHES LOST, AND EDUCATING CLIENTS ON PROPER NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. IN 2023, 413 PATIENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE CMAP HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PROGRAM.

IN 2023, IN SUPPORT OF ITS SUPPORTED ORGANIZATION'S (THE RAPIDES FOUNDATION) HEALTHCARE ACCESS INITIATIVE, CMAP'S CANCER SCREENING PROJECT PROVIDED FREE MAMMOGRAMS, PAP SMEARS, PELVIC EXAMS AND COLORECTAL CANCER TESTS TO 440 UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED PATIENTS WHO COULDN'T AFFORD THESE CRITICAL SCREENINGS. THESE TESTS ARE BROUGHT TO RURAL AREAS THROUGH A CANCER SCREENING VAN. THE VAN IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE RAPIDES FOUNDATION, CMAP, THE FEIST-WEILLER CANCER CENTER AT LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER -- SHREVEPORT AND THE LSU FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY IN ALEXANDRIA. THROUGH THE MOBILE UNIT PATIENTS RECEIVED 46 CERVICAL SCREENINGS AND 455 MAMMOGRAMS. ALSO, APPROXIMATELY 52 WOMEN AND MEN RECEIVED TAKE-HOME COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING TESTS. CMAP ALSO ADMINISTERS THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ADVISOR (CHA) PROJECT, A COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAM DESIGNED TO TRAIN COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO HELP EDUCATE THEIR PEERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CANCER SCREENINGS. ONCE TRAINED BY THE CANCER SCREENING PROJECT COMMUNITY HEALTH ADVISOR, THESE VOLUNTEERS WILL PROVIDE EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND INFORMATION TO MEN AND WOMEN THROUGHOUT CENTRAL LOUISIANA. THE GOAL IS TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO PRACTICE EARLY DETECTION OF COLON, BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER WHILE IT IS IN THE MOST TREATABLE STAGES. THE CHA PROJECT ATTENDED 32 EVENTS IN 2023. THE CMAP PATIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SPECIALISTS BRING THE RAPIDES FOUNDATION'S TOBACCO PREVENTION AND CONTROL INITIATIVE INTO THE SAME PHYSICIAN OFFICES THEY SUPPORT FOR MEDICATION ACCESS. BY PROVIDING TRAINING AND MATERIALS TO PHYSICIANS AND THEIR STAFF ABOUT SMOKING CESSATION REFERRAL RESOURCES, THE SPECIALISTS MAKE IT EASY FOR DOCTORS TO ENCOURAGE THEIR PATIENTS TO STOP SMOKING.