Unused medicines

When my husband died in December there were a lot of meds to get rid of and I just took them to a chemist as I was advised to do. There was also masses of stoma bags and equipment, plus boxes of catheters and paraphernalia, and I was advised to bin all of it, even the large unopened box that arrived after he died. I saw something in the local paper about the Lions and the Ukraine, so I got hold of them, and happily it is all now going to the Ukraine on their next visit.

People don’t seem to realise how dangerous it is to not take medicine that has been prescribed because if they become ill the assumption will be that they are taking everthing on their medical record. A surgery would rather be told that someone isn’t taking whatever has been prescribed.

choughdancer

My Mum died recently (very peacefully, and aged 101) and we have a lot of unopened and unused in-date medicines. Quite a while ago I knew of a charity that would take them and they could be sent to countries where there was a shortage.

But I think now that you are no longer allowed to donate them this way but have to take them back to a pharmacy where they will be thrown away. I've done some searches, but the only charities still doing this seem to be in the US (I am in the UK).

I hate the waste involved, and was hoping one of the grans on here might know of some way they could be re-used.

Rather waste them by pharmacy, then be given to a charity whose use of them not regulated, and ope to abuse. I would never dispose of medicines this way.

I took my late Mother in law's hearing aids to a funeral directors for redistribution so some may take unused drugs as suggested by PP ?

We had to get rid of 6 months worth of drugs, dialysis fluids and tubes and other paraphernalia when DH had a kidney transplant - broke my heart to think how much it would have cost the NHS - they wouldn't even take it back for training purposes!
Anyway just googled again and found this - might be useful for some of you
intercare.org.uk/donate-supplies/general-public/

When one of the items became out of date in my late partners "Just in case bag" I mentioned it to the nurse and asked for her to replace it, she said I will just replace the whole bag. I said what an awful waste, she said it really does not matter this medications costs pennies!!!! I think not, if it does why do people have to pay so much for a prescription?

You can’t reissue drugs even in individual unopened packaging. I asked about sending overseas and was told that was also not allowed. When my mother died I filled a bin bag with her meds. I took the ones that I was also prescribed and took the controlled drugs to the pharmacy to be destroyed. If anything has CD on the box it can be used (if sold) by users or dealers

I delivered prescriptions, and was horrified at the waste. If you have a pharmacy delivery, you can refuse to accept, and they can be returned and re-used. (I got fed up with explaining that NO, I could not take back unused items that had been accepted, but why were they accepting the new prescription when the previous one was still in date?, and why were they not actually taking the prescribed meds? (do they need to be talking to their doc)
Local St Johns, Scout and Guide groups will normally be pleased to accept bandages for practise, and cotton wool for crafts.
Some drugs are also used for animals, so Google vets online to see - local rescue centres might be glad of them.

I have also seen a request for medicines plus bandages on a local FB group for Ukraine, it even asked for out of date medication.

I have found that if refused at the pharmacy they would take them back, but if delivered they won't as once handed over they can't guarantee they have not been tampered with.

We donated similar medical things to a Ukrainian charity

My husband takes a lot of medication and every now and then they vary the dosage which means that the old pills are no use. Also he tends to get "out of sinc" if they change one half way through his normal drug cycle, but we order our GP prescriptions on line via SystmOnline and can order just one of his meds if that is all that is required.

I am not surprised NHS is on it knees, my dad is diabetic, the hospital changed his testing regime to a kind of disc that is fitted to his arm so no need for testing strips & needles, mum had told the chemist umpteen times not to send Huge boxes of needles & testing strips. yet receives them every month.

Hi, just seen the thread on unused medicines. PUMA (Plymouth Ukraine Medical Aid) will take all medicines and medical aids. They do regular runs to Ukraine where medics will check over the supplies.Hope this helps.

natnatnat

Hi, just seen the thread on unused medicines. PUMA (Plymouth Ukraine Medical Aid) will take all medicines and medical aids. They do regular runs to Ukraine where medics will check over the supplies.Hope this helps.

That's great to hear natnatnat! Thank you and also thank you to everyone who has given good advice. I really feel as though I can get these items to somewhere they will be used.

www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://medicinestoukraine.com/GB%23:~:text%3DThe%2520supplies%2520of%2520hospital%2520medicines%2520are%2520running%2520low%26text%3DYour%2520donations%2520will%2520be%2520used,them%2520to%2520the%2520Ukrainian%2520hospitals.&ved=2ahUKEwiB5pjW6rWEAxWzg_0HHeOXCfYQFnoECBYQBQ&usg=AOvVaw2tNy5PDlZ_HEmCWDXYr5_a

A place fir donaton

Yes you are correct. What a waste,they are all destroyed! Just shocking

When my Dad died just over ten years ago, his pharmacist asked us to return any unused in date medicines, “so I can reissue them”. I was furious as the pharmacist had already been paid for issuing Dad’s medications. I returned none of the meds to him.

I'm one of those patients who leave the pharmacy with a large bag full of medication as I'm diabetic with high blood pressure. Most of my tablets come in multiples of 28 so I get a pack each month multiplied by the number of pills per day. If they come in packs of 30 they eventually mount up so every 14 months I just don't order that medication to get things back in line.

About a year ago my blood testing machine died and was replaced with a different model so I had left-over testing strips for the old machine. I threw away the opened container but had one unopened one which I gave to a friend who was still using a machine like my old one We know how much it saved the NHS as they are available to buy online! It won't make a huge difference but every little helps. I knew the pack was in date and had been stored appropriately so it was totally safe to use.

Shandy3

www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://medicinestoukraine.com/GB%23:~:text%3DThe%2520supplies%2520of%2520hospital%2520medicines%2520are%2520running%2520low%26text%3DYour%2520donations%2520will%2520be%2520used,them%2520to%2520the%2520Ukrainian%2520hospitals.&ved=2ahUKEwiB5pjW6rWEAxWzg_0HHeOXCfYQFnoECBYQBQ&usg=AOvVaw2tNy5PDlZ_HEmCWDXYr5_a

I've looked at the link . This appeal is for money to buy medicines for Ukraine. They are not collecting unused medicines!

I took a load back to the pharmacy they came from, they accepted them without question, it just seemed the logical thing to do.

Chocolatenoodle8

When my Dad died just over ten years ago, his pharmacist asked us to return any unused in date medicines, “so I can reissue them”. I was furious as the pharmacist had already been paid for issuing Dad’s medications. I returned none of the meds to him.

I don’t understand this. Your dad was issued medication (presumably free) and sadly no longer needs it, but you are ‘furious’ at the thought of it being given to someone else, as the pharmacist had already been paid for issuing it, so you let it go to waste?

The pharmacist would be paid to fulfil the other patient’s prescription regardless of the cost of the drugs. He or she would just have been trying to save the NHS money. Unless I’ve misunderstood, that is a very strange attitude - surely it’s better to reissue whatever can be reissued than to waste it in case someone makes money on the deal? I think the only money involved would be that saved by the NHS, but in any case what difference does it make if the pharmacist made a profit?