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medicines and medical supplies

archess200
archess200 Posts: 37 Forumite
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in Charities
I have surplus medicines, and I am sure there are heaps of other people around me in the same position who do not want to dump valuable unopened packets and boxes. Any idea of who accepts small quantities of various medications????
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Comments

  • Browntoa
    Browntoa Posts: 49,299 Forumite
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    Nobody

    You cannot be 100% sure it's not been tampered with
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    Long term forum member
  • elsien
    elsien Posts: 32,719 Forumite
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    Take them back to a pharmacy so they can be disposed of correctly.
    All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

    Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.
  • Katiehound
    Katiehound Posts: 7,552 Forumite
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    There are a couple of charities which accept medical supplies- don't know if anything you have is on the list 'though

    https://intercare.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Items-accepted-by-Inter-Care-2018.pdf

    https://droppoint.org/hospices-of-hope

    The only other one seems to be in USA!
    Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything! --
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    Stash bust :2023. 120duvets, 24 bags, 43 dog coats, 2 scrunchies, 10 mittens, 6 bootees, 8 glass cases, 2 A6 notebooks, 59 cards, 6 lav bags,36 angels,9 bones, 1 knee blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramids = total 420 total spend £5. Total for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82

    2024:23 Doggy duvets,29 pyramids, 6 hottie covers, 4 knit hats,13 crochet angels,1 shopper, 87cards=163 £86 spent!!!
  • JamoLew
    JamoLew Posts: 1,800 Forumite
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    I don't know why you can't just return them to your local pharmacy.
  • Undervalued
    Undervalued Posts: 8,851 Forumite
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    JamoLew wrote: »
    I don't know why you can't just return them to your local pharmacy.

    The pharmacy will simply destroy them as they are obliged to do for a number of obvious safety reasons.

    I think the OP was hoping they could be put to use by a good cause. I am sure it is well intentioned and that the OP got them direct from a pharmacy and has stored them correctly etc. However it is hard to imagine any reputable charity would be willing to take the risk, even if it is not actually illegal - which it most likely is!
  • cattie
    cattie Posts: 8,841 Forumite
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    If anybody has stoma supplies to dispose of there's a charity called Stoma Aid who send the supplies to countries where people don't have access to such things & have to tape plastic bags or cans or other such recepticles to their bodies instead.

    Like with medicines, stoma supplies cannot be returned to the supplier, so dontating to Stoma Aid is a brilliant way of helping out people who are not lucky enough to have the NHS to look after them & supply medical items.
    The bigger the bargain, the better I feel.

    I should mention that there's only one of me, don't confuse me with others of the same name.
  • General_Grant
    General_Grant Posts: 4,840 Forumite
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    Katiehound wrote: »
    There are a couple of charities which accept medical supplies- don't know if anything you have is on the list 'though

    https://intercare.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Items-accepted-by-Inter-Care-2018.pdf

    https://droppoint.org/hospices-of-hope

    The only other one seems to be in USA!

    Though "supplies" appears in the heading, the main body of the OP was about "medications".

    I've looked at the link you posted. It is dated 2018 and clearly states that medicines are not accepted but they do accept some items (like toothpaste) described, as you say, as "supplies".
  • JamoLew
    JamoLew Posts: 1,800 Forumite
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    I still maintain that they should be returned to a pharmacy.

    Amounts of drugs dispensed are monitored and I would assume so are returns.

    This info could then be used to ensure that in the future excessive amounts aren't handed over unnecessarily.

    After all, these drugs are being paid for by our taxes and in a large number of cases the "dispensing fee" comes nowhere close to the actual cost of the medication (granted sometimes it far exceeds the cost)

    Just trying to save the NHS some money
  • Tigsteroonie
    Tigsteroonie Posts: 24,954 Forumite
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    Not quite what the OP was offering but posting in case others read the thread ...

    Surplus medical supplies (not medicine) for children are sometimes sought by parents who have run out ahead of a delivery, or who have forgotten something when travelling. The best planning in the world does not prevent your child interrupting that planning process! So if you have any spares, please consider offering them via Skiggle at https://skiggle.co.uk/. Thank you.
    :heartpuls Mrs Marleyboy :heartpuls

    MSE: many of the benefits of a helpful family, without disadvantages like having to compete for the tv remote

    :) Proud Parents to an Aut-some son :)
  • Jenna_Appleseed
    Jenna_Appleseed Posts: 4,857 Forumite
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    and according to Skiggle's site old medicines have to be returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal.

    "Medicines:
    Out of date, un-used and part used medications must be sealed and returned to the pharmacy that dispensed them so that they may be disposed of in accordance with the Hazardous Waste Regulations (2005) in order to protect the environment"

    "The act prohibits the mixing of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes, which includes the prohibition of medicines being disposed of with normal household rubbish."

    Prescription medications will have been “prescribed for you only. Do not pass it onto others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours” (medication information leaflet).

    (my bold)
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