Angels for Change, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the nationwide drug shortage, will celebrate its three-year anniversary with the annual Champions for Change Gala on Saturday, September 17 at Armature Works. Tickets for the fundraiser will be on sale until the end of September on the website for $125 per person.
In June, through the leadership of Chief Change Maker Laura Bray, Angels for Change gave their first grant to a pharmaceutical manufacturer, STAQ Pharma Inc., to end the shortage of concentrated electrolytes that provide vital nutrients to neonatal patients. In just eight weeks, the manufacturer was able to supply over 100,000 doses of the life-saving drug.
Angels for Change received a grant from the McKesson Foundation in March that allowed Bray to hire two employees and open an office located off Falkenburg Road. The grant will allow Bray’s mission to improve education on the causes and effects of the nationwide drug shortage.
The McKesson Foundation was the recipient of the first annual Drug Shortage Guardian Award. The award, given to the Texas company in 2021, recognized the individuals and organization that worked tirelessly to contribute to the mission of Angels for Change.
“They were the helpers that helped 19 families end a drug shortage, and it was the same people who helped every single time at this distribution center that did extraordinary work,” explained Bray about the first recipients. “I think part of our job is to recognize those change makers throughout all of the U.S. doing everyday work to help patients.”
In 2021, Angels for Change joined the End Drug Shortages Alliance as one of the founding members in order to join forces with 91 other organizations to address the causes of the United States’ drug shortage. Bray is also one of the founding board members of the alliance and works alongside pharmacy supply chains and distribution centers to solve the issues.
“We are grateful to have Angels for Change join the alliance to end drug shortages,” said Eric Tichy, division chair of pharmacy supply solutions for Mayo Clinic, who serves as the chair for the Alliance Advisory Board. “Collaboration among organizations strengthens our ability to improve the quality of life for patients that rely on these medications. Together, we can make a difference.”
To purchase tickets, become a sponsor or donate to Angels for Change, visit the website at angelsforchange.org.
