MARQUETTE — More than 50 percent of patients with cancer experience extreme financial burden with a majority of them depleting their life savings in the first two years of treatment. This compounding distress negatively impacts survival rates. Over half the counties in the Upper Peninsula experience the highest rates of cancer mortality in Michigan. YesRx is a nonprofit service organization working to improve access to cancer medication. YesRx offers easy ways for an individual to donate unused cancer medication and feel empowered knowing it will be provided for free to a patient in Michigan.

“Funding the YesRx program in the Upper Peninsula keeps cancer care local, reducing the financial burden for patients and families, supporting regional healthcare providers, and strengthening the region’s healthcare system”, shared Megan Murphy, chief executive officer of the Superior Health Foundation.

YesRx has been awarded a Community Health Pilot grant from the Superior Health Foundation to increase knowledge about cancer medication access and medication waste prevention in the Upper Peninsula. Cancer treatment is not a straight path and prescriptions change frequently for patients, creating a high volume of unused medication. In the U.S. over $3 billion dollars in cancer medication is thrown away each year.

“YesRx provides vital resources to support cancer care in 90 percent of Michigan counties. We are thrilled to partner with the Superior Health Foundation and work toward our goal of serving patients, clinicians, and communities in every county,” remarked Siobhan Norman, chief executive officer and co-founder, YesRx.

YesRx www.yesrx.org supports Michiganders who are impacted by cancer by distributing free medication to clinics for patients who cannot afford their prescription and providing ways to donate unused cancer medication to other patients in Michigan, protecting land and waterways from medication waste.

The Superior Health Foundation’s mission is to proactively support organizations and initiatives across the Upper Peninsula to improve health and well-being. You can learn more about SHF by visiting www.superiorhealthfoundation.org.