BANGOR ? Low-income Mainers can look forward to having an easier time getting the drugs they need to stay healthy and out of the hospital. Major health care providers in the area met earlier this week to begin designing a “one-stop shopping” service that would simplify access to the many charitable programs that make free or inexpensive medications available to eligible individuals and families.

According to national studies, as many as 40 percent of low-income individuals either fail to fill prescriptions at all or else take less than the therapeutic dose needed to be effective. This noncompliance results in poor control of chronic conditions such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. Patients who don’t use their medications appropriately have more frequent encounters with doctors’ offices, emergency rooms and hospital inpatient units. State health care officials say medication noncompliance related to inability to pay is a big problem here.

There are a number of resources for Maine residents who have trouble paying for the drugs their doctors prescribe. The government offers several options: Medicaid, MaineRx Plus, Low-Cost Drugs for the Elderly and Disabled, the Medicare Part D drug benefit and other plans. On the private side, drug manufacturers and private charities often can help when patients can’t afford the medicines they need.

But navigating the thicket of corporate goodwill and social welfare can be daunting. Inconsistent eligibility guidelines, hit-or-miss drug lists that don’t include the medications needed, inadequate discounts and ever-changing application requirements can make the process so complicated and frustrating that many of those in need give up on getting any help at all.

Now, with the support of a statewide organization called MedHelp Maine, health care hubs such as Bangor hope to offer one-stop shopping for patients who need prescription assistance. Representatives from St. Joseph Healthcare, Penobscot Community Health Center, Eastern Maine Medical Center’s family practice program, and Bangor Mental Health Institute met Wednesday morning with MedHelp Maine director Martha Morrison to talk about how the much-needed service could be provided. Also at the table were Lenard Kaye of the Maine Center on Aging and representatives from the offices of Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Michael Michaud.

With the help of a grant from the Maine Health Access Foundation, Morrison is working with half a dozen communities from Caribou to York to develop in each area a single point of application to the many assistance plans that exist. Trained staff at each site would be charged with staying current with changing assistance program requirements, making sure applications are complete and ensuring that individuals of all ages get the help they need.

Such efforts are now fragmented and sporadic. For example, Suzanne Thomas, a case manager at Penobscot Community Health Center, said that as part of her job she helps patients apply for prescription assistance. Over the past year, she said, she has helped about 200 patients obtain more than $200,000 worth of free medications. Many more of PCHC’s clients are eligible for assistance and never get it, she added. Other providers at the meeting shared similar experiences and said the problem is greater than any of their offices can handle.

With consensus on the need for the new service, providers agreed that finding and funding a coordinator is the first step. Kaye said the Center on Aging may be able to use funding from the federal AmeriCorps program to pay for an initial coordinator to get the service up and running. He agreed to work with Morrison in developing an appropriate job description and recruiting qualified applicants.

Other obstacles include identifying a physical space for the service and establishing continuing funding for staff, office equipment and other expenses from public and private sources.