A partial solution that will help.......

[ABikerSailor]

I'm placing this in Current Events, because this involves something that is currently in the news, as well as has affected my life personally, right now.

My room mate was recently diagnosed with cancer. She's got good insurance, so that's not a worry, but this is........

Because the doctors had to find out what was wrong with her, she was prescribed quite a few medications, some of which she had bad reactions to and stopped taking.

Incidentally, she's still got quite a few of those medications, many of which are heart medications and the like (not narcotics), and she can't use them.

She went back to the pharmacy to try to give them back, as she didn't want to flush them down the toilet because it's also been on the news quite a bit that the city water systems have started to become polluted due to all the people flushing medication.

She was told they couldn't be returned, and she had to figure out something to do with them.

There are a lot of people here in Amarillo who could benefit from donated medications. My question is, why can't someone like the Salvation Army or some other charity set up a pharmacy where they could take the medications back, check them and make sure they're still viable and safe, and then whoever came over with a prescription from a doctor could get their meds filled there if they didn't have money?

My roomie likened it to having a full plate of good food, going outside and seeing the homeless, and then just throwing the food on the ground and walking away. I sort of see it the same as well.

Anyone have thoughts on this subject? I'd really like a couple of good ideas so that maybe this kind of program could get started.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

This is the dumbest post I've ever read.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Why? Do you think that flushing medication and polluting the water system is more preferable to donating medication that you can't use any longer? By the way, these scripts are fresh.

It's just that when I hear of something that is wasteful and harmful like that, I want to know if there is a solution that can help.

 

[Granny]

My pharmacy accepts returned unused or outdated medications so that they can be properly disposed of. I don't think its a particularly good idea to donate leftover drugs to shelters, free clinics, etc. because there's too much room for a terrible mistake to be made in redistribution and it's likely that a doctor would not take a chance on redistribution of someone else's drugs. Also, I think it's a federal law that prescription drugs cannot be passed around from one person to another.

Maybe instead of saying she's "returning" the drugs she should say she would like the pharmacy to correctly dispose of the drugs so as to cut down on contamination of water systems, etc. That's what I say and I've never had a problem. These pharmacies probably have (or have access to) proper biohazard disposal resources.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Yeah.......but what about a charity that gets a pharmacist to volunteer? He could then check the meds, make sure they're good and put them into the stock.

That way, homeless people could get their heart meds and no impact on healthcare costs.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Why? Do you think that flushing medication and polluting the water system is more preferable to donating medication that you can't use any longer? By the way, these scripts are fresh.

It's just that when I hear of something that is wasteful and harmful like that, I want to know if there is a solution that can help.

No, I think throwing them in the trash bin makes more sense. There is one group that recycles Aids medicine it's called RAMP (Recycled AIDS Medicine Program), it's a project stemming from the New Humanist Movement, gathers unused HIV medicines and delivers them to organizations overseas.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Yeah.......but what about a charity that gets a pharmacist to volunteer? He could then check the meds, make sure they're good and put them into the stock.

That way, homeless people could get their heart meds and no impact on healthcare costs.

To many things could go wrong and then the sue happy United States would have even more law suits. Some things no matter how good intended or smart can not be done due to the ability of the people to sue.

 

[Terry]

The cost to test those pills to see if they are safe would be too costly. They cannot go off anyone's word that they are safe. It only takes one asshole to spoil the bunch.

What I do to dispose of old meds is, crush them up, put it back in the bottle, ad a little water, or coffee grounds, scratch off my name on the label then I put it in the trash.

I would call your health department to see if there is some collection system. Some states have them. Some doctors let you bring them back in and they will trash them.

Do not flush them down the toilet or sink. That is the worse thing to do. If it is a liquid ad kitty litter to it. No pets or humans will get into that. Over time the medical aspect on some meds break down.

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

The medical examiners office will dispose of them, You can not redistribute controlled substances back into the system once they have been out of a controlled environment .

 

[Zoom-boing]

The pharmacist wouldn't take them back so they could be disposed of properly? I find that ludicrous. If I were her I'd contact other pharmacies and find one that would take them. If that's still a no go contact the drug maker and ask them for help. The pharma sales reps don't just toss expired samples; they're returned and destroyed.

I'm sorry about her dx. My cousin, who is in her late 50's and a breast cancer survivor, just found out she has pancreatic cancer. It's in her liver as well. Not good.

 

[PatekPhilippe]

If a pharmacy accepted medications to be re-issued at no cost to the end user it might be a good idea. I can't see reselling the medication that's already been paid for by someone's insurance or the government. By the same token though the first time an incident happened and someone was injured or killed by the returned meds someone would sue the living shit out of the pharmacy.

I see lawsuit written all over this.

as an aside...my empathy for your friend....I've been down the cancer road with my father....not a pretty sight to say the least.

 

[boedicca]

She could go to her doctor's office and ask them to put the meds in the medical waste.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Yes, but I'm wondering why a pharmacist couldn't check the pills to make sure they're safe?

 

[rightwinger]

Its a shame really but the medications will never be used. Some of these meds cost $6-$10 a pill or more and you end up just tossing them.
All the same, I bet there is a lot of behind the scene swapping of medications

 

[PatekPhilippe]

Yes, but I'm wondering why a pharmacist couldn't check the pills to make sure they're safe?

Then that would be an added cost to the pharmacy and he would have to charge for medication that's already been paid for. By the time he got through buying the test equipment, hiring staff to operate the test site and then certifying each pill, the meds might be the same price as new ones from the drug companies.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Yes, but I'm wondering why a pharmacist couldn't check the pills to make sure they're safe?

Then that would be an added cost to the pharmacy and he would have to charge for medication that's already been paid for. By the time he got through buying the test equipment, hiring staff to operate the test site and then certifying each pill, the meds might be the same price as new ones from the drug companies.

What part of "working for a charity" did you miss? Yes, it would cost money initially to get the lab equipment and pharmacist, but that could be done under charitable donations.

It would be basically a one time startup fee, but the benefit that could come from something like that would be huge.

And no, you wouldn't have to tack the costs onto the pills in the pharmacy, it would be taken care of by someone like Salvation Army.

 

[AllieBaba]

Yes, but I'm wondering why a pharmacist couldn't check the pills to make sure they're safe?

How would he do that? Chemical screens?
And if one pill out of a bottle is screened, who's to say the rest are safe?

It truly is a stupid post.

But there's a lot of money to be made in selling prescription meds. Feel free.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Again......the question is, since we can recycle lots of other things, why can't a program be started to recycle basic (not narcotic or opiate) medications?

 

[rightwinger]

Again......the question is, since we can recycle lots of other things, why can't a program be started to recycle basic (not narcotic or opiate) medications?

If you want to know the real reason...

Even if it were perfectly safe, the pharmaceutical companies would block the practice.

Do I need to tell you why?

 

[AllieBaba]

Again......the question is, since we can recycle lots of other things, why can't a program be started to recycle basic (not narcotic or opiate) medications?

Again, because you'd have to test each and every pill, and it opens the door for abuse and contamination.