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Can I donate an unopened, full months supply of copaxone?

My mom past away about 2 weeks ago, wow, anyways she was on Copaxone and I wanted to know if there is some place or someone I can donate a full, unopened, but delivered month's supply? For about a week in Oct. we were worried her insurance wouldn't cover the rx cost and that feeling was not pleasant. If we can help someone out by getting them this copaxone can you point me in the right direction please?
Best Answer
1453990 tn?1329231426
In the US there are all sort of rules about medications when they are in "regulated" and "unregulated" environments.  From manufacturing all the way to the pharmacy, they are in the "regulated environment."  Pharmacies can even transfer drugs to other pharmacies, but once it leaves the pharmacy, it is "unregulated."  These rules drove hospital to using "unit dose" drugs on medical wards and the implementation of systems like "Pyxis."

I worked in this for a few years. Much of the practice for the " regulated environment" is contained in 21 C.F.R. PART 211 "CURRENT GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE FOR FINISHED PHARMACEUTICALS"  

Bob
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Avatar universal
Thank you again. I will look into one of the ideas and if that does not pan out then I will follow up with the other suggestion. So I have a plan and then a back up plan. Perf! This is what I was hoping to get, a suggestion on how to donate to someone and if I couldn't do that then find the right way to dispose of mom's unused grugs. THANK YOU! Would you believe some yahoo told me to flush it down the toilet? I went ahead and answered them with a suggestion of my own. They were telling me that it was an opiate and it couldn't effect the water supply and....... Like I said last night "Well I have to say that this has been the best answers from the couple of spots that I posted this questioned...." I mean it! Thank you everyone. Brandon
Helpful - 0
738075 tn?1330575844
Firstly, I'm so sorry for your loss!

When I stopped Rebif, I took the unused portion to my local MS support group, and one of my group members was happy to take it.
Helpful - 0
1453990 tn?1329231426
If you are in the States, all you need to do is drop it off at a pharmacy.  They will take care of proper disposal for you.  That is the case now for all drugs.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well I have to say that this has been the best answers from the couple of spots that I posted this questioned. When mom first started copaxone the shared solutions nurse did a great job explaining why and how to keep the copaxone in the fridge. Anyways thanks everyone, I guess the next thing I need to do is contact my county and ask them how they want me to get rid of the copaxone and the rest of mom's medication.
Helpful - 0
1453990 tn?1329231426
It is stable for one month if it is unrefrigerated.  It is stable to the stated expiration date (mine is more than a year) if it is kept refrigerated.  The problem is outside the "regulated chain," it is always best to consider it to have been unrefrigerated at some time.
Helpful - 0
338416 tn?1420045702
Unfortunately there's a shelf life problem with Copaxone too.  They don't recommend using it after a month.  If it's already been two weeks, then I would recommend disposing of the medication.

I had a box of Copaxone, delivered about a day before I decided that I was done with Copaxone.  I had to throw it away.
Helpful - 0
572651 tn?1530999357
If only there were a way to pass these unused drugs on - too often we are forced to dump them.  The problem with sharing these drugs are two-fold - you want to be sure the person receiving them really has a prescription for the drug and should be taking it.  Second - as Bob pointed out it becomes uncontrolled once it leaves the pharmacy - there are safety issues involed with the copaxone being frozen or overheated.  There is a proper storage temperature involved and we have no guarantee that this box has been kept that way.

It would be a lovely way to honor your mom's memory by helping out someone else with these.  I am so sorry for your loss and may you find other ways to honor her life.

best. Lulu
Helpful - 0
788554 tn?1257693252
My condolences.
I have wondered the same I have a whole month of beta. I am in the process of switching to Tysabri.

Helpful - 0
1045086 tn?1332126422
First of all, I'm sending along my condolences in the loss of your mother.  Circumstances aside, losing our parents is always rougher than we anticipate it will be.  I'm sure she would be pleased to know the effort you are putting into finding a good use for her unused Copaxone.  It indicates you are a person of compassion and a keen awareness of the difficulties your mother faced in her life.  Not all people with MS have such wonderful support, especially from family members.  I'm glad she had you.

Much as it makes sense to donate expensive unused prescriptions, I'm not sure you will find a place willing to take the Copaxone for redistribution.  Every prescription I ever filled says not to share it with anyone else.  I don't know about actual laws against sharing with someone you know, but I do know that drugs not sold OTC are heavily regulated and must be prescribed by a physician and dispensed by a pharmacist.  This is for safety to prevent unexpected adverse reactions as well as a hedge against product tampering.  

It's so sad we have to think about those possibilities every day but that's the world we live in.  You may be forced to dispose of this valuable resource.  Leftover drugs are a huge unaddressed problem for disposal.  We used to be told to flush them.  We now know that isn't a good idea but are yet to develop solutions for disposal that won't cause future contamination of some resource.  

An extra consideration for injectables is safe disposal of needles.  You should use whatever sharps container Mom used.  Put the still filled syringe and needle in the box, seal it, mark it as containing sharps (if it's a home made container with no indication) and dispose of it.  Many states allow these containers to go in the regular trash at that point.  Some people are able to turn them in to the pharmacy for disposal.

Sorry if I overwhelmed you with information.  Again, my sympathy is sent along with these many words.
Mary
Helpful - 0
1453990 tn?1329231426
Even unopened, it can't be transferred.  Maybe TEVA would take it back for a credit like they do with a pharmacy.  It will end up being destroyed.
Helpful - 0
704043 tn?1298056844
NO--- Its  well you cant- its against the law-   crasy     someone could benifit- but no  
im  very sorry about your mother-    hugs!!!!!!!!!!!!  tick
Helpful - 0
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