Unused medications

20 years ago

I've been reading posts here off and on for some time and I've seen some very good advice. I have a question I hope someone can help me with. I've been helping with my parents who have both been very ill over the last year or two both with cancer. My father actually passed in the fall of last year and while I was helping my mother go through his things, recently, I found lots of unopened pescription meds and stuff that might have had one or two taken out of a whole bottle. My mother brought some back to the doctor's officed and they took it, but some she left. Stuff that is in the boxes right from the doctor. I have no idea what to do with this stuff but I can't see thowing it out. Does anyone know of oranizations that take this stuff?

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Comments (6)

agnespuffin
20 years ago
I may be wrong but I think that there is some sort of regulation to prevent re-using prescription meds by others. Some of the medical missions to third world countries make use of donated medications, but I don't know how you would contact them.
fairegold
20 years ago
Also check with your local veterinarian. A lot of the medications are also used for animals.
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Unfortunately this is illegal. The peson receiving it may have a bad reaction to it, it might be the wrong dosage, etc. I think the DEA has made it a law, but I would just take them to your doctor, maybe a few they can recycle. Good luck!
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I dispose of my out-of-date meds in a safe manner, like some posters above. Never have flushed or put them into our water system. When I first read this link I was skeptical, or rather cynical as to where these meds may end up. Did check out the link provided by roselvr, and like golddust, no pharmacies in my area currently participate in this program. The NCPA is composed of small independent pharmacies and we just don't have many of those where we live. Have to say that I have some similar concerns as expressed by lee676 in returning controlled substances to a pharmacy. While there are many regulations with regard to the dispensing of those type of meds, the NCPA link does not provide any info regarding any regulations with regard to their acceptance of unused medications, either controlled or not. I wonder how that would work. Also, I noticed that NCPA has a PAC that accepts donations for those who wish to support them as well. I think I want to investigate the NCPA's PAC a bit further before I try to enlist those small pharmacies in my area to participate. Until then I will continue to dispose of our unused or out-of-date meds via the method I've always used. Lee676 is correct about the one year expiration date printed on your medication label. I have a box of Tamiflu prescribed to DH in 11/2006 with an expiration of 11/2007 on the label. However, the expiration date imprinted on the box is 10/2010. Tamiflu is another expensive medication especially if you do not carry pharmacy insurance coverage. Why dispose of a perfectly good medication. In the event you need it again before the true expiration date, you pay for the med twice. I don't know that it is even legal for this practice to take place here. That may be why the CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aids, etc. pharmacies do not participate? When my old gal was put down, I tried to donate all of her meds back to our vet practice for patients who were unable to afford medications. They could not take them back. Many were meds that were in unopened sealed packaging? The local shelters would not take them either. Years back when my DGF passed, his family physician came to our home (I was a wee one, so we're going back quite some time) to collect all of my DGF's leftover meds. Many of the meds were strong narcotic pain-type medications. I wonder to this day about his motivation.
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I feel like my life is tied to those books. They represent who I am. Is that why it's so hard for me to weed them out? Yes, that *IS* why it's so hard for you to weed them out. You don't want to let go of all of those identities. Thinking through that issue may help you. Are you *really* someone who will start a business? Or are you someone who will pipe-dream about it only (that's acceptable, btw; are don't need to act on every dream). I would say, don't go by cost. (do a Google search on "sunk cost"--the money is spent, don't worry about how much it was, bcs it's never coming back) Go by, "how much difference would it make in my life if I wanted them but didn't have them?" Will you be able to find info like it, in a book from the library? (even if the ones you donate aren't there)? Starting a business--there are tons of books in the library about that. Organizing--personally, I find doing it to be more useful than reading about it. Medical--I'd have said keep the ones you'd look in if someone was sick or injured in the middle of the night or weekend, but honestly I find very credible info on the Internet now, in just as much detail as you'd get from most of those books. How to write--are you writing? might you look up a grammatical turn of phrase? I might keep reference books. Diet--are there any details in those books that isn't covered by: "eat less, move around more"? LOL I would bet that you could get rid of nearly all of them.
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I'm sorry your old cat is so ill. Since I don't know how renal failure "feels", I'd call the to be sure she isn't in pain; if she is, please have the vet give her a painless journey out of this life. & to make her as comfortable as possible, stay with her: I am still reeling over the post where the vet said the owner "isn't allowed" to stay with their pet at this last moment. (A friend donated her cat's unused meds to a rescue... & fell in love with one of their kitties & the rest is history!)
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elanalv
Original Author
20 years ago
I think the stuff I have right at the moment is an appetite stimulant so I don't think the vet is going to really be able to use it. Everything else that didn't go back to the doctor has now been chucked, which truly pained me knowing how many people out there can't afford to get meds because they have no insurance. Thanks for the tips though. I'll keep trying to see if anyone can use it. This is still an incredible and frustrating journey. Thanks again for the suggestions. Take care.
lasershow
20 years ago
I think there is probably a big liability issue involved in donating used meds -- e.g., if someone has an adverse reaction, they would sue (insert parties here), etc. Sad, but true -- and you are so right about many people not being able to afford meds.
asolo
20 years ago
If any of them are narcotics (morphine, oxycodone, etc.), save them and hoard them. If ever the time comes when you need them they can be very difficult to obtain. Often-ridiculous protocols and everyone covering their tails while your loved one is in pain and you wait for a call-back.

Everything non-narcotic is easy. Throw the rest out.
elanalv
Original Author
20 years ago
lasershow, I know what you are saying which is why most of what he had went down the toilet. It just hurts to see unopened packages of stuff get tossed as well. His doctor gave him an entire case with individual boxes of that medication. Like maybe 12 or 16 small boxes. All still sealed, etc. I tossed it and like I said, it hurt to do it. LOL. As far as narcotics, I really felt those were dispensed to my father without regard for what might happen, and I honestly felt he got very dependent on them. So much so much so I think it was a contributing factor to his ultimate failure to recover from surgery well and at other times. As a very active man in his 70's, after his surgery when the drugs started, he was dispondent, depressed, and very dependent on pain killers. (Mind you, he was cancer free at that point.) And they just kept writing perscriptions for more drugs no matter what I said. So... there will be no saving narcotics in my home. I'm going down this road with my mother as well, but her attitude is much different from his. Hopefully, I won't have to make those kinds of decisions for some time.

Unused medications

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