Our Pharmacy Drug Donation Program Helps the Community
Our pharmacies and our medication assistance program have joined together to develop a drug donation program. It is designed to provide an affordable, on-site option for patients who are otherwise financially unable to afford their current prescription medications.
"Donating medication is an excellent way to dispose of unneeded medications and also help someone in need. Many times a few doses of medication can help support a person until they can find a program or other steady source," says Chad Alvarez, senior director of Retail Pharmacy.
In addition to the patient benefits, donating medication also benefits our community by keeping unused medications out of the environment and out of the wrong hands.
How to Donate
- Bring unused, unopened and non-refrigerated medications to the Crystal Springs pharmacy location.
- Medication(s) to be donated can be brought inside the facility or brought to curbside pickup.
- The pharmacy staff will sort through the medication(s) to determine which can be accepted for donation or will properly dispose of them in one of the MedSafe lockers.
Which Medications Can Be Donated
- Inhalers (still in foil wrapping)
- Injectable devices (i.e. Lovenox)
- Sealed manufacturer bottles of prescription tablets or capsules
- Unit dose packages like blister cards
Which Medications Can't Be Donated
- Controlled medications
- Expired medications
- Medications that have not been stored properly according to the manufacturer’s recommendations
- Medications dispensed from the pharmacy in traditional amber vials
- Refrigerated medication (i.e. insulin vials or pens)
This program is licensed and given oversight by the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. Eligibility of patients for participating is determined through our medication assistance program.
If you have questions regarding the drug donation program, please contact Chad Alvarez, Pharmacy, at cealvarez@carilionclinic.org.
