Marsh offers free vitamin program for expectant mothers

INDIANAPOLIS Marsh Supermarkets on Thursday implemented a new program designed to help expectant mothers manage health care costs with its Prenatal Select Program, a program that provides free prenatal vitamins using selected products made by the Ethex Corporation.

“We at Marsh understand that while pregnancy is a time of joy, it can also bring with it many concerns,” stated Chris Duffy, Marsh vice president of pharmacy. “Marsh is happy to help alleviate one financial concern with the introduction of our free prenatal vitamin program.”

The news comes in the same month that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that younger women between the ages of 18 and 24 are the least aware of the benefits in supplementing with folic acid during pregnancy.

In analyzing the results of five national surveys conducted annually by the Gallup Organization between 2003 and 2007, 61 percent of women in this age group were aware of the benefits of folic acid, but only 6 percent knew when folic acid should be taken. In addition, only 30 percent of women in this age group, which accounts for approximately one-third of all births, supplemented with folic acid.

The program is available to anyone with a valid prescription for prenatal vitamins. Once the prescription is presented, the shopper can receive 30 day despensings of selected prenatal vitamins absolutely free with no strings attached for up to one year. The Prenatal Select Program is available at all 41 Marsh pharmacy locations in Indiana. Marsh Pharmacists are available to explain the program and answer any questions.