Faces of 340B

Hanan Tadros, Chicago, IL

A decade-and-a-half ago, Hanan Tadros was struggling to manage her multiple chronic health conditions and juggle her many prescription medications. Her daily medication regimen included drugs for diabetes and depression, and she had to take more than 10 medications throughout the day. She was feeling overwhelmed. Then Hanan’s doctors at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System (UI Health) referred her to the system’s 340B-supported Medication Therapy Management Clinic (MTMC) to help her better adhere to her medication regimen and manage her chronic illnesses. Since then, she has been coming to the MTMC every two weeks to meet privately with one of the clinic’s pharmacists, discuss side effects she is experiencing, have her blood pressure checked, and learn how to manage her hemoglobin A1C levels. She also receives a two-week supply of her medications, organized in a pill box, so she feels comfortable about taking the correct medications in the appropriate dosages. Because the clinic is supported by UI Health’s 340B savings, she never receives a bill for these bimonthly visits. When Hanan first started coming to the clinic, she was taking regular insulin to manage her diabetes. But with the support of MTMC and 340B, she has not needed to take an insulin shot in seven years. She believes the reason she is alive today is because of the care she has received at UI Health.