Donate unused medicine

[videonerd]

Is there a place to donate unused medicine?

I have about 13 unopened boxes of Cyclosporine that will expire in the next several months... that's some $1500 worth!!! My treatment cycle has stopped before I used up all of it. There has to be a better place to than landfill to put these in...

I'll trade the boxes for a Macbook? :cheesygri

[mcplar]

I honestly don't think legally anyone will take the drugs. It's unfortanate but you have to think about liability ;)

I would take them back to the pharmacist as they dispose of them properly. What ever you do, don't flush them... drugs will end up back in the water table.

[brunes]

You would think there would be soe kind of program. Lots of lower income people are not insured and can not afford the drugs they need.

Like other poster said I would ask the pharmacy if they know of a program. Any such program would obviously have to be administered by some pharmacy.

[nalababe]

Way way too much risk involved with this type of endeavour...not to mention that selling (even for free) such a product would be illegal as you don't have license to sell.

[brunes]

Way way too much risk involved with this type of endeavour...not to mention that selling (even for free) such a product would be illegal as you don't have license to sell.

If such a program existed and was run by a pharmacy there would be no risk whatsoever, I do not get what your point is.

[pitz]

Might not be a bad medication to have sitting around if one of these big flu seasons hits, with strains that need immunosuppressive treatment. Like what happened a hundred years or so ago, with a strain that primarily (and paradoxically) killed people with strong, not weak immune systems.

I know that if there's a bad outbreak coming, this drug (or something similar to it) will be in my survival kit, in addition to the usual stuff.

[nalababe]

If such a program existed and was run by a pharmacy there would be no risk whatsoever, I do not get what your point is.

It is not allowed...risk or not. The reality is that there is no certainty that the storage has been proper, that they have not been tampered with...is the risk low? Maybe...will the pharmacy risk their business on it? Insurance would go through the roof...

Anyway, there are far more pharmaceuticals returned/destroyed due to closeness of expiry...why not give those ones away? Same with consumer care products (i.e vitamin). Back at the office we could buy returned vitamins (expiry within 6 months) for pennies.

[Mystix]

If such a program existed and was run by a pharmacy there would be no risk whatsoever, I do not get what your point is.

There is still a risk, even if it is administered properly, there is still a risk of tempering of the product. Even if they risk are minimal, the manufacturer will prohibit the pharmacy from releasing those products.

[pitz]

The 'cost' of most medication is not the physical chemical or substance itself, but all of the research that goes into the development of the product, licensing, lawsuits, etc., etc.

Some medication manufacturers provide pharmacies rebates or credit against returns of expired medications. But pharmacies are not allowed to accept returns of dispensed drugs.

[nornet]

If such a program existed and was run by a pharmacy there would be no risk whatsoever, I do not get what your point is.

You are half right. In Ontario many pharmacies accept unused and expired medicine. It cannot be re-dispensed even for free as who is to guarantee that it hasn't been tampered with. It is disposed of. Ask your pharmacist. Unfortunately it's not like the reusing eye wear programs.

[almostfreeman]

Yes you can recycle unused prescription medicines. There are many places in the US that do this and is starting to become more common in Canada, although it's still technically illegal to dispense. In addition to the Ottawa clinic I remember there being a group in NS that also inspects and recycles meds.

Dr. Jeff Turnbull, chief of staff at the Ottawa Hospital in Ottawa, already has begun recycling unused prescription drugs .... http://www.fftimes.com/node/220397
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/03/prescription-drugs.html

www.njt-pqt.org - site has links where you can donate unused prescriptions

[molala]

While I fully understand the legal implications of attempting to sell medications without a proper license, I still do not agree with your "common-sense" reasons for not even giving them away to those in need. You say there is risk of tempering or improper storage. True, but the same risk is present for regular food items which can be donated freely.

Ultimately, the main reason there are hurdles to giving the unused drugs away is to protect the pharmacies and drug manufacturers from losing any profit.

I would consider posting an ad on craigslist or the like, but you'd need to carefully screen the responses to not end up in trouble.


There is legal implication with even giving someone medication. Prescription or not. Even if someone ask you for a Tylenol and you gave it to them, if anything happen to them because of the Tylenol, you are liable for it and they could sue you. That's why you would never get anything that you could ingested from a First Aid Office.

[slowpoke]

You are half right. In Ontario many pharmacies accept unused and expired medicine. It cannot be re-dispensed even for free as who is to guarantee that it hasn't been tampered with. It is disposed of. Ask your pharmacist. Unfortunately it's not like the reusing eye wear programs.

That reminds me of a story I heard a few years ago.

Around Beaverton Ontario, (on the shores of Lake Simcoe about 45 min north of Toronto), the Ministry or Township were performing their regular lake water testing and discovered some very strange things in the water that just shouldn't have been there.

They tracked it down to a pharmacy in town that was simply flushing expired drugs down the toilet instead of disposing of them properly.

[Tacoma]

...Dr. Jeff Turnbull, chief of staff at the Ottawa Hospital in Ottawa, already has begun recycling unused prescription drugs .... http://www.fftimes.com/node/220397
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/03/prescription-drugs.html
...

The linked article pretty well answers the question of the thread. The releveant quote is:

"...according to the Ontario College of Pharmacists, the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act prohibits the redispensing of drugs that have been returned to a pharmacy once the dispensed drug has left the pharmacy.

In a statement, the college said: 'This protects the public from potential harm in receiving a drug that may have been tampered with or altered in some way, and is based on the premise that all patients — no matter what their financial status or abilities — deserve drugs that are of high quality; this cannot be assured where returned drugs are “recycled” or re-dispensed to patients.'

I do agree with someone who posted earlier that the "tampering" reason is inconsistent with allowing donation of food in Canada. However, I understand the College of Pharmacists' position from a legal liability perspective, whereas a food bank would not likely be sued if any donated food was tampered with.

Your best bet may be to donate to the US or 3rd world nation. Maybe check out the Red Cross website.

[TCWeasel]

I tried to return some expired medication to SDM yesterday. They refused to take it because it did not originate from their store.

That doesn't go a long way in encouraging people to take their unused medication in for proper disposal.

I was told to take it to the hospital.


For the record...

Take your unused or expired medication to your local pharmacy or call your local health unit, either will dispose of them safely for you. If you are interested in donating your family's unused medications to those in need of medical supplies contact the Canadian Medicine Aid Program. More information on CANMAP is available through their Toronto office at 416-778-7865.

http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/myenvironment/home/medicine.php

[iwells]

I wish there was such a program....My wife threw out $10,00 worth of medication ( no joke ) as her medication changes regularly ... No one wanted it.

I'm sure somone could have used it.

Thank Goodness for health insurance though.

[ritsbits]

I tried to return some expired medication to SDM yesterday. They refused to take it because it did not originate from their store.

That doesn't go a long way in encouraging people to take their unused medication in for proper disposal.

I was told to take it to the hospital.


many pharmacies have contracts with companies to destroy biohazardous products (i.e. akin to paid garbagemen... for drugs only). the drugs are supposedly destroyed in a manner that prevents the active components from reaching the environment (or so is the intention). as such, pharmacies have to pay these companies for the quantity of drugs they send to them (or something along those lines), and its not free for them to do so. if you get your meds filled at that particular sdm regularly (and regularly means that you see them typically more than once every few months for antibiotics or something), they'd be inclined to pay for your disposal, as its in their best interests to do so to maintain your business. if you aren't a regular, they'd much rather have whoever dispensed the meds to you pay for it :).

that being said though, it also depends on the particular person you've spoken to... while that is the general way of handling this, some pharmacists/pharmacies are more inclined to take them in (i guess it depends on the contract they have with the company) :-0