And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full. — Luke 9:17.
A committed cadre of central Illinois Catholics is embarking on an innovative plan to reclaim unused pharmaceuticals from diverse institutions like correctional facilities and long term care pharmacies, and make them available for use by medical missions.
Dr. Roderick L. Matticks, Quincy native, physician and longtime member of Church of the Little Flower in Springfield, devised the concept based on the biblical account of the parable of 12 baskets full left over after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.
"I had a desire to participate in medical mission work. It just never seemed that I could work it into my life," Matticks said. "My career led me to work in correctional healthcare. I witnessed the return and destruction of many medications and knew the same happened in other settings such as long-term care. Then friends started saying that they did not know what to do with left over medications."
Twelve Baskets Full is Matticks' vision. "We are confident in God's provision of an abundance of created goods and the necessity of sharing that abundance with those in need … ," said Matticks.
Father Richard Chiola, pastor, St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Springfield, is vice-president for mission integration and said the name of the non-profit organization is no accident.
"The 12 baskets full left over after the miracle represent the overflowing abundance of God's kingdom, the mercy that has broken into the violence, sickness, and want of the world," Father Chiola said. "The baskets are a sign of another, fuller in-breaking of divine mercy that in the Gospel begins with Christ's last supper and is fulfilled on his cross. It is this in-breaking mercy that Twelve Baskets Full means to share by redistributing leftover medicines collected from places of imprisonment, illness, and death."
New sources
Matticks said the need for medications in mission work is great but the resources are few. Most come from donations by pharmaceutical companies or "big pharma" to use a popular media term. Matticks identified two untapped sources important for the potential amount of medication going unused: correctional systems and long-term care.
Some medications are never opened due to changes in dosage or a prisoner's status. Such medication, uncontaminated and safely within the expiration date, can be a boon to Twelve Baskets Full. Similarly, a nursing home resident may have transferred, the medication changed, or died. Typically, Matticks said, medications are then destroyed on site, returned to the nursing facility's pharmacy or given to the family.
Green alternative
Twelve Baskets Full touts an environmental benefit of the initiative to donors in reducing inappropriate, and sometimes, illegal disposal of medications, which, public health officials warn is a growing menace of keeping medicines out of the waste stream. James D. Stone is director of the Sangamon County Department of Public Health and an advisory board member of Twelve Baskets Full.
"As the public has become more aware of the environmental dangers associated with inappropriate disposal of medications, the demand for more options to responsibly dispose or divert these pharmaceuticals has increased dramatically. Twelve Baskets Full has the potential to meet both needs," Stone said.
Possibilities
Mission work is tough enough without shortages of medicine complicating things. Vicki Compton is a veteran of numerous mission trips to Haiti and other world trouble spots. She also serves as director of the diocesan Office for Missions.
"I have had calls from groups going on medical mission trips that were looking for medications to take with them. Twelve Baskets Full sounds like it will be a great resource in both situations. I will be anxious to spread the word among my mission contacts when TBF is open for business," said Compton.
Matticks penned a letter targeted to potential donors of both money and product. One recipient was Dr. David Haymes, a retired surgeon who now resides in the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas area. He is pitching the concept to Texas Tech University Health Sciences to expand its ability to perform medical missionary trips.
"Twelve Baskets Full is a great concept and can make a huge positive impact for groups performing medical missionary trips," said Haymes. "It is always a difficult process to obtain the needed drugs for these trips and this will streamline the process."
Matticks said he plans a wider solicitation soon. He recently spoke to correctional healthcare professionals and vendors at their recent convention in Las Vegas and came away encouraged by their interest. In the meantime, more information about the organization's mission can be obtained online at www.12basketsfull.org.