It may be worthwhile to check with your state's health department to see if there is a program for recycling unused and unexpired medications. For example, Wyoming's health department accepts sealed bottles of unexpired medications, as well as test strips and insulin, and redistributes them to residents in need.
Follow these steps:
- Remove the drugs from their original containers and mix them with something undesirable, such as used coffee grounds, dirt, or cat litter.
- Put the mixture in something you can close (a re-sealable zipper storage bag, empty can, or other container) to prevent the drug from leaking or spilling out.
The manufacturers make the drug and set the price. This is part of the reason why insulin is so expensive. There's no limit to how high the price can be set, and they don't have to disclose how they set it.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends checking with local diabetes education centers—such as ADA Recognized Education Programs—for information about donation resources in your area. For example, there may be a homeless shelter that collects diabetes supplies. Some animal shelters may accept donations, too.
The group accepts other supplies, too (find out more at ifl-usa.org). Per its license, most of its donations go to diabetes associations, health care facilities, and pharmacies, all of which are overseas and provide diabetes self-management education along with supplies to help recipients use them properly.
It is not legal to sell regulated medical devices unless you have a license to sell them and the buyer has a prescription to buy them. Insulin pumps are prescription-based for insurance purposes, not safety reasons. Find someone that has or can get a prescription for the supplies and sell away!
Donations at Home
Some animal shelters may accept donations, too. When you call, be sure to have a list of what you want to donate. Organizations may be looking for unexpired and unopened packages of syringes, pens, insulin, medications, test strips, lancets, insulin pumps, and pump supplies.You can donate to a local organization that is willing to take unused supplies. Many hospitals and home healthcare companies take supplies to give to patients who are unable to afford them on their own.
Health insurers farm prescriptions out to PBMs, typically to the top three: CVS/Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx, which between then manage about 70 percent of the market, according to the ADA. PBMs negotiate lower prices directly with the pharmaceutical companies, getting discounts on different medications.
Once you begin using insulin to treat type 2 diabetes, can you ever get off it and go back to medications? For someone to go back to oral diabetes medicines after starting insulin, the pancreas must be able to produce enough insulin to maintain normal sugar levels. Once this occurs, insulin can be stopped.
Insulin for Life USA is a not-for-profit with a mission to rescue unused diabetes supplies here in the United States and deliver them to people across the world who have no access to these life saving necessities. Please consider how you can support IFL USA and donate your supplies or cash contribution today.
There are six types of non-insulin medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes:
- Metformin: Pills that reduce sugar production from the liver.
- Thiazolidinediones (glitazones):
- Insulin releasing pills (secretagogues):
- Starch blockers:
- Incretin based therapies:
- Amylin analogs:
If you run out of insulin or if your prescription happens to be expired, you'll need to have a backup plan. High blood glucose levels from lack of insulin can lead very quickly to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a potentially deadly condition.
In the US, you need a prescription for both the pump and all the supplies. Insulin pumps are prescription-based for insurance purposes, not safety reasons. Find someone that has or can get a prescription for the supplies and sell away!
If you run out of insulin or if your prescription happens to be expired, you'll need to have a backup plan. High blood glucose levels from lack of insulin can lead very quickly to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a potentially deadly condition.
A black market exists for insulin, used by people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes to control their glucose levels. Globally, three companies dominate the insulin market, and all of them have raised their prices dramatically. The original price of Humalog, for example, in 1996 was $21 a vial; it is now $275.
If you are in emergency need of insulin right now, always go to the emergency room. It is offered in both regular human insulin (“R” – for use at mealtime) and NPH (“N” – a longer-acting basal insulin). You can also get Novolin at CVS Pharmacy for $25 per 10 mL vial through the Reduced Rx program.
If you're seeing sudden surging high blood glucose readings when you start a new vial or pen and you can rule out dietary changes, changes in activity level, and/or changes in stress level, you may have bad insulin.
Using insulin past the manufacturer's expiration date can cause your blood glucose to be higher than expected if you stick to the same dosing you've been using all along. If your blood sugar is extremely high, you may even feel nauseous and faint.
Never use insulin if expired. The expiration date will be stamped on the vial or pen. Remember if not in the fridge, the date on the vial or pen does not apply. You must throw away after 28 days since outside the fridge.
The effectiveness of expired insulin is hard to predict. Using insulin past the manufacturer's expiration date can cause your blood glucose to be higher than expected if you stick to the same dosing you've been using all along. If your blood sugar is extremely high, you may even feel nauseous and faint.
When insulin has expired, it is not safe to inject. Check expiration dates. If the insulin has expired, don't use it. Once you have begun using insulin (pen or vial with injection, pump), the insulin can remain at room temperature (up to 86F or 30 C) for the number of days you will be using it.
Never use insulin if expired. The expiration date will be stamped on the vial or pen. Remember if not in the fridge, the date on the vial or pen does not apply. You must throw away after 28 days since outside the fridge.
The effectiveness of expired insulin is hard to predict. Using insulin past the manufacturer's expiration date can cause your blood glucose to be higher than expected if you stick to the same dosing you've been using all along. If your blood sugar is extremely high, you may even feel nauseous and faint.
When insulin has expired, it is not safe to inject. If the insulin has expired, don't use it. Once you have begun using insulin (pen or vial with injection, pump), the insulin can remain at room temperature (up to 86F or 30 C) for the number of days you will be using it.
Insulin vials which meet the criteria for being defined as empty are not classified as hazardous waste and may be disposed of into the regular trash. Therefore, residual insulin in a vial would not be defined as a listed hazardous waste when disposed.
If you decide that you want to
donate medical supplies, you have several options to consider. You can
donate to a local organization that is willing to take
unused supplies.
Other local organizations to consider donating to include:
- Salvation Army.
- Churches.
- Community centers.
- Nursing homes.
- Daycare centers.
- Schools.
You can recycle broken or outdated electronic meters at e-waste drop-off centers and during special collections. Excess testing strips themselves can often be sold to third parties as long as they are not expired.
