# Can unused medications be given away? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609 "2009-01-29T20:50:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/1 "2009-01-29T20:50:00Z")
I’m left with a lot of Novolog and Levemir flexpens (insulin) in the fridge after my husband’s death, plus other miscellaneous drugs for heart disease or diabetes. Is there any way to give these away to those who could use a break, or is it a lost cause? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/2 "2009-01-29T22:06:43Z")
I asked a very similar question a few years ago > **[\*\*Legal\*\* disposition of usable prescription meds?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=338356)** > > Let’s say you have a prescription medication that for some reason, you wound up not needing. It’s untouched and provably so. It’s not legal to hand such a thing off to a friend, for numerous good reasons. Are there charities that would take such a... and the consensus seemed to be that no, not any official way of doing it. Obviously if you knew someone personally who could use those things, the authorities would never know about it. Not that I’m recommending that as it’s presumably quite illegal. Stinks to waste the medications though, doesn’t it ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/3 "2009-01-29T22:08:34Z")
Please send all painkillers, opiates, and other easily abused drugs to: Cluricaun PO Box… ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/4 "2009-01-29T22:14:19Z")
The pharmacy is not allowed to take back medication once it leaves the pharmacy. If for some reason we did take it back (to be nice, we screwed up, whatever) then all we could do was toss it, or put it in our outdated pile. This is mandated by the Drug and Cosmetic act… I’m sure most places would have the same sort of policy. ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/5 "2009-01-29T22:15:26Z")
I have, on occasion, have given unused meds to my doctor, who I know would give them to patients who might not have a drug plan. (assuming they hadn’t expired). The drugs, not the patients… ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/6 "2009-01-29T23:19:38Z")
That’s really thoughtful of you, **jsgoddess**. I believe that in some circumstances the medications can be donated. Who and what is eligible varies by state, and not all states have such programs. I’m pretty sure Missouri, where I live, has a program. [This page](http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/rx-reuse.htm) gives some information that you might find useful. It includes a list of states that have programs for doing this. ---
**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/7 "2009-01-30T00:28:41Z")
Perhaps you could try to find a free clinic in your area or even a university might use them. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/8 "2009-01-30T00:53:36Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Stinks to waste the medications though, doesn’t it ☹ Yeah. It’s hundreds of dollars worth of insulin that’s the big one I hate to throw away. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/9 "2009-01-30T00:59:01Z")
Would a veterinarian or animal shelter be able to use insulin? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/10 "2009-01-30T01:00:56Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > Would a veterinarian or animal shelter be able to use insulin? Oh, that’s a good idea. I’ll call our vet tomorrow and ask. It looks like Ohio doesn’t have any resources in place for getting this to a human. I wish I knew someone who was on these drugs. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/11 "2009-01-30T01:02:06Z")
I used to work for a pharmaceutical company. That company sold directly to pharmacy chains and hospitals, and if, for example, there were too many boxes delivered and they were returned to the company (not a recall situation, just to be clear), the company would have to destroy them, even if they were all in the original packaging, unopened, because they cannot _guarantee_ that they hadn’t been tampered with. Even samples that came to the lab; say, 10 boxes in final packaging for identification testing before sale, but only 2 are used, the unused boxes had to be destroyed. It could be frustrating, especially when working with products that you know cost a lot of money per dose, but it really is the safest thing. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-unused-medications-be-given-away/483609/12 "2009-01-30T02:02:24Z")
[Some states do have programs to recycle unused meds](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23983062/). It appears that [Serving Our Seniors](http://www.servingourseniors.org/) is an Ohio organization that is asking for medication donation, and [this drug company](http://www.budererdrug.com/drug_repository_program.htm) is apparently involved in the effort, so they might be able to at least point you int he right direction as to what to do. I would also try calling some free clinics and see if they are allowed to accept medications in your state, or see if you can get in touch with a group doing overseas medical missionary trips (who almost certainly could use any medical supplies they can get). Good luck with finding a way to make use of them.