Donating drugs

Do any of you know any charities or stores which take donations of unused, unopened and unexpired drugs?

After my surgery, I no longer have the need for my birth control pills. I have 6 packages. I hate to flush them, and I thought I heard about charities that could use them. But, so far, I have called my doctor's office, the Health Department, Salvation Army, and Planned Parenthood, and none of them take them, nor could tell me for sure anyone who would. I have a call in to the local free clinic and an e-mail out to Wal-mart, awaiting their answers.

The only charities I have found on the internet that take unused drugs want specific anti-inflammatory, antibiotic or cancer fighting type drugs.

Anyone with experience with this situation?

I'm not 100% sure this is legal. They always say not to take drugs that were not prescribed to you.

I believe that Comp Guy is right (I really like your avatar). If I recall correctly, it is illegal to take Rx prescribed to one person and give it to another. The issue revolves around not knowing the drug interdependencies that can exist and cause unintended consequences.

But it is legal to send them to Nigeria? Sounds like our usual double standard. Bummer! It seems so wasteful.

wow - what a waste....what about the hospital or a free clinic? Put an ad on Craigslist I am sure someone will grab them that needs them.

How about a medical school? I was able to give mine to a family friend attending medical school out of the country. The people there couldn't afford any sort of treatment.

When my wife's mother passed away, her father took some of her prescriptions back to the pharmacy and they bought the medication back, of course this was nearly 20 years ago.

I am still real surprised that Planned Parenthood wouldnt take them!~

The free clinic has not returned my call, and I gave them the toll free number.

I think most pharmacies will only take back the scripts that were filled there. When I get home, I will get the info on the mail order pharmacy I used, and see if they know anywhere I can donate these.

Also, a friend thought she had something at home from the local Pamida, she will bring me tommorrow.

I could see charities turning down loose pills in open bottles, but these are blister packed, so each pill is sealed.

Blister pack is not tamper proof for a savvy nasty person. It's the tamper factor that keeps medications from being passed on to someone else. It may seem wasteful but to be honest, I wouldn't take drugs someone else didn't need anymore unless it was some rare drug. Birth control pills are a dime a dozen, as the saying goes.

Actually, these were around $15 per month.

A lot of insurance companies dont cover bc pills. I really hope you can find someone that can use them.

Really????

Yes! I always thought that was weird; they would cover the birth of a baby, but not birth control, which would be much cheaper for everyone.

I guess my insurances have always covered them! When my wife worked for a Catholic hospital they weren't covered.

Seriously, can you just imagine the lawsuit if some organization gave drugs to an needy person and those drugs turned out to be tainted?

It's very kind of you to have tried but it's just not worth the $90 savings here.

Call your local hospice, they frequently accept donated drugs.

Sorry Randy, I don't think a hospice would need birth control pills!

Flush them.

I wish I still needed birth control- I'd take 'em! But the hubby's fixed so I have no need. Is there anyone on BOL who would need them? I know it's not exactly the same as donating them to a charity per se, but at least someone would use them!!

LOL, me too Croak. Hubby is "fixed" or I'd take em too!

Good idea. If anyone uses microgestin fe 1.5/30, PM me. Microgestin is the generic form of Loestrin.

Yeah, I wasn't taking them for birth control either, had my tubes tied 18 years agao. I needed hormone therapy, and these worked as well as any other stuff they would prescribe.

i'm saying this w/the best of intentions -
isn't it illegal to give prescription drugs to anyone except the person holding the prescription?? i'm thinking it's not such a good idea to be discussing this in a public forum.

I think it's a felony to take a prescription that does not belong to you. I had my brothers old Rx of Augmenten and my boyfriend, the Cop, flipped out. He wanted to know what narcotic was taking and I pulled one out and asked him when the last time he saw a narcotic the size of a horse pill?!?!?

Bailey, I understand your meaning. But I haven't given the pills to anyone yet, I was only asking. And...I found a number of websites like the Starfish Foundation, which take unused cancer drugs and antibiotics and sends them to Nigeria. Their website will even provide a mailing label for people wanting to donate their unused drugs. So maybe it is only illegal in certain states.

Funny, I would have thought Nigeria would want birth control too. But, maybe the laws are specific on the types of drugs or they are just concentrating on disease rather than overpopulation.

And yet a lot of those same companies WILL cover Viagra and similar drugs for men. Can you hear my eyes rolling from there?

The insurance we have here covers female birth control. Oral contraceptives only. I always thought that was unfair.

Actually, most of the same companies that do not cover birth control do not cover Viagra.

FYI: If you need those same pills (birth control) for something other than birth control, they are covered.

Also, check your insurance plans you think are covering Viagra.... They really aren't covering it! The copay is such that you can use 1 pill a week, and it's going to cost you far more than any other prescription on your plan.

BF, are you speaking from experience????

On a related note, I stopped by an optician's office Saturday and they will take used eye-glasses (they go to the Lion's Club for distribution).

I have 6 to 8 pair to donate and hope these will be helpful to someone.

Free clinics will take splints, crutches, etc. Things that don't require sterilization.

My husbands insurance covers his insulin (juvenile diabetic for the last 40 years), but won't cover the syringes. Seems stupid to me.