Extra meds

[cariad]

The pharmacy down in Chicago just phoned. They wanted to know if they should ship me more Myfortic. I have been off Myfortic since September, and have mentioned this each and every time I've spoken to them since. This did not stop me receiving a massive bottle of Myfortic in November (to add to the two massive bottles I already had) and I suspect I still have not got through to them. Is this really so complicated?

Anyhow, I've heard UCSF has a meds closet where they will accept leftovers from patients to give to their financially struggling patients. I love this idea but somehow suspect Northwestern is not on board with it. When I checked in last March, it rather felt like a prison when Northwestern confiscated all my meds and had them looked over by their pharmacists. The nurse told me that some people have expired meds!!! as if this was obviously akin to inadvertently mixing up the rat poison with the sugar. The woman on the line told me I could give them back to the pharmacy but they would only be binned. These cost me nothing since I am still in my Medicare free-pass year, but I so hate to waste them. What do others do with extras if they are taken off an expensive specialty med with no indication that they will ever need it again?

[billybags]

cariad, we give them back to the pharmacy who bins them. What a waste.

[okarol]

I have heard of patients (discreetly) passing on meds to others who contact them.

[BASSMAN]

If I were going to give my extra meds away,  I would remove the labels and all communication would be done in extreme privacy and I would have to  be absolutely sure that I knew who I was communicating with.  It is against  federal law.  A person caught doing so could be charged with "Distribution of a controlled dangerous substance".

[jbeany]

But yes, such a thing has occurred before - quietly, privately, PM'd.....     

 

[okarol]

I don't think all meds fall into the illegal category, but I cannot find the exact law. I found this:
...No controlled substance in schedule II, which is a prescription drug as determined under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), may be dispensed without the written prescription of a practitioner.
And this would apply to Class 2 drugs such as pain killers and sedatives.

[jbeany]

Well, as the current IHD legal student - I say that leaves a big gap to squeeze through.  We all have written prescriptions for these!   

[cariad]

Thanks for the replies!

As a perfectly law-abiding citizen, I would never suggest that a member PM me if they could use roughly four hundred 180mg tablets of Myfortic shipped to their door....

[okarol]

Thanks for the replies!

As a perfectly law-abiding citizen, I would never suggest that a member PM me if they could use roughly four hundred 180mg tablets of Myfortic shipped to their door....

Yes, I also would not condone or encourage such activity..... 

[RichardMEL]

I was actually asked to take my unused Renagel (when I was taken off it) to the renal ward and hand it over because they use them for patients. They were quite happy to accept it. I guess there are different rules for different things, or maybe different meds. Still I was happy that they wouldn't be binned and actually used - since I had over 100 tablets left!

[natnnnat]

   Richard always seems to live in this amazing other world where everythings seems to be done in a gentlemanly and reasonable way.

[bette1]

I was able to leave my extra meds with a nurse who was able to give them to a patient in need.  I'm sure this was all under the table, so I won't name the center, but it wasn't U of Wisc.

[cariad]

  Richard always seems to live in this amazing other world where everythings seems to be done in a gentlemanly and reasonable way.

 

Oh my God, how I laughed at this! It is so true! Priceless observation, Nat!

Their differences are always settled by calm and respectful discussion, followed by sending each other cards, flowers and chocolates just because they all appreciate each other so much. I think I'll plan our next holiday to Melboune....