Part 2 of 4 - How to donate unused medication
If you’ve recently lost your older adult, you may also be looking for ways to get rid of their leftover medicine as you clean out their belongings.
Knowing how expensive some medicines are, it’s a true shame that people in need may go without because in most cases, disposal is required and donation isn’t allowed.
However, there may be ways for you to give that medicine to a healthcare provider who can actually find a way to get it to patients in need.
21 states have operational drug redistribution programs that allow people to donate unused medication to be redistributed to patients in need – find a list here.
Typically there are provisions guiding what you can and cannot donate. For example:
Medicine cannot be considered a “controlled substance”
Medicine cannot be expired at the time of receipt
Medicine must be sealed in tamper-proof packaging and unopened
Medicine cannot be adulterated or misbranded
A pharmacist verifies all donated medicines prior to their redistribution and liability protection for donors and recipients is 100% assured.
Your best bet is to talk to your older adult’s doctors about the possibility of donating unused medicine so it can be redistributed.
You may also want to check if local medical ministries or public clinics in your region are accepting donations of medicine.
In most cases, similar guidelines will be in place and you must drop the medicine off at a clinic location, not a general donation center.
To find out if there is a medical ministry near you, try searching online or contacting your local Area Agency on Aging or other senior services agencies for more information.
Original article on Caring .com
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