If you’re reading this on the RemediChain website, odds are you’re aware of the potential to donate unused medication. It’s possible thanks to the hard work of our founder, Phil Baker, who worked with lawmakers to make it legal for us to accept medication from individuals anywhere in the United States.
Of course, RemediChain isn’t the only organization that accepts donated medications. But how should donors evaluate the organizations that accept these unused prescriptions? Consider the following.
1. Is the medication reclamation organization a nonprofit? How is it funded?
Most people dislike the idea of donating something that the recipient will sell for their own profit. And the higher the value of the donated item, the more uncomfortable it is to hand it over to someone who may do just that.
When we’re talking about prescription medications that may cost tens of thousands of dollars or more, your first consideration should be finding a reclamation organization that operates as a nonprofit. That way, there’s no concern for their own bottom lines over the best interests of the patients (the donors and the recipients).
Secondly, how is the medication reclamation organization funded? If it’s backed by significant private equity dollars, consider that a red flag – because the financial backers probably hope to see some gains from their investments. If it charges individual patients for medications, refer back to the beginning of this section.
What about RemediChain?
RemediChain is a nonprofit. We’re in it for the patients. Our funding comes from a variety of grants, partnership support and individual donations. Where available, we may also receive funding from insurance plans. Individual patients never pay out of pocket for medication received from RemediChain.
2. Is the medication reclamation organization well-versed in the complex legalities of medication donation?
Medication donation is not federally regulated. It’s subject to an intricate web of state-level laws that differ across the United States. What an organization can accept is dictated by the laws of the state in which it operates. Whether it can dispense medications is dictated by the laws of the state where the medications will go. And whether patients can receive medications is dictated by the laws in the state where they live.
When evaluating a medication donation partner from a legal perspective, ask yourself:
- Does the organization know the laws about what it is able to accept?
- Does the organization know the laws that may apply to me?
- Does the organization clearly explain how the laws may apply to my donation, including whether it is eligible?
- Is the organization responsible for my donation?
The correct answer to all of the above is, in a nutshell, that the organization should know the laws everywhere. It should monitor its own reclamation (and dispensing, as applicable) and leave no questions or liabilities for the donor. Click here to access the page where RemediChain tracks state laws, which we update regularly as changes occur.
3. Do medication donors pay…for anything?
This one will be short. If you’re donating, it shouldn’t cost you anything – no shipping charges, no service fees, no nothing. Zero dollars.
If an organization asks you to pay, find another. Or bookmark DonateMyMeds.org, because RemediChain never charges donors for their medication.
4. What does the organization do with its donated medications?
Most medication donation organizations promise to share the medications with patients in need. But how do they share them?
A network of third-party clinics?
When considering a medication donation partner, don’t settle for a middleman that claims to redistribute medications to a vague network of clinics or other patient-facing organizations. Such a structure is often due to the tight regulations placed on pharmacies in each state, shifting the burden of dispensing to someone else. If you can’t figure out where to go to receive donated medications, do you really want to give them to that organization?
State-run or state-affiliated organizations
Some organizations are specific to the states in which they operate. They may be tied to the state health department or a statewide network of charity pharmacies. Evaluate state-level organizations the same way you would any other, keeping in mind that medications donated to them will most likely only be dispensed to patients within that state.
Reclaim and dispense?
What does RemediChain do with donated medications? Upon verifying each medication’s safety and eligibility, our licensed pharmacists add them to the inventory at our on-site pharmacy, where they’re immediately available to patients, providers and caregivers who request medications through our online form. As long as the patient’s resident state allows it, medications can be sent out as soon as the same day – no long waiting periods, cumbersome approval processes, or inefficient networks of organizations to navigate.
5. What are its safety protocols?
Safety is perhaps the most important consideration for recipients of donated medication. As a donor, you should have a clear picture of what happens to medications once the organization receives them.
Are medications being inspected manually by a licensed pharmacist? What are the safety protocols?
RemediChain’s process begins with intake by its trained, licensed staff, who inspect each individual medication with a 14-point safety protocol to ensure the items are suitable for dispensing. The inspection includes the following:
- Checking the packaging to ensure it has not been opened or otherwise tampered with
- Ensuring legibility of the labels
- Confirming the expiration date is a minimum of six months away
- Reviewing the product itself to ensure it is consistent with the named medication’s characteristics (a protocol most effective when performed by a licensed pharmacist)
6. What qualifications and expertise does the organization (and/or its staff) have?
If you’re choosing an accountant to do your taxes, you’d probably seek out someone with proper credentials, not just someone with an internet connection to search for tax laws that may apply to you, or someone who is simply well-organized and can put all your finances into a spreadsheet.
The same should apply to trusting high-value prescription medications to a medication reclamation organization. Pharmacists are uniquely qualified to handle these medications and to ensure their safety. So make sure the organization you donate to has at least one on staff.
RemediChain is pharmacist-owned. Our team includes three pharmacists, as well as three pharmacy technicians, who proactively manage our inventory and ensure efficiency, safety and quality in our medication reclamation operations.
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