Ever feel like a waste of meds? | Arthritis Information

I just ate an extra plate of gnocchi instead. I am a huge waste.  I have a ton of Effexor samples that I never took, a ton of Darvocet (I hate it!) and lots of leftover Percocet (childbirth) and even Valium.  Also two different prescription iron supplements that messed up my stomach (finally the third worked, yay!)  I also got an rx for elmiron for IC but was able to get that under control with an super restricted diet for about 1 month (that was right when my wrist first flared).  I also have MTX pills left over from when I switched to injectible.  I throw things away once they are past expiration but hate tossing them before then, even if I know I will never use them.  Katie, take the ones not expired to your next rheumy appt. you might be surprised at how grateful they are for them. My Rheumy treats people who don't have any perscription insurance and he uses it for them. I'm sure he doesn't take it from just anyone though, he knows how consciencious I am. When I was on embrel I bought a fridge for my bedroom just for that and had a thermometer sitting right on them, to make sure they stayed at the right temp. Of course, when I was taken off, I had just received a 3 mo. supply. So I took it to him.Hey, I'll take the enbrel. After December my copay will be 0.00 for a month. Also those vaiums and percocets sound good too. LOL Joonie, I know how you feel.  I was able to bring my sealed leftover Enbrel back to the RD for him to donate, but it is rare to have something sealed like that.  Hubby has been using my old Ultracet, but only because it was prescribed for him in the hospital recently and he was waiting to see the doc as an outpatient to get his own script (which he did).  My mother always recycles her leftover dental Percocets back to me, as I have had them in the past and elected to stay on Vicodin instead, but on rare occasions have a greater need.  Antibiotics are another matter, because as was mentioned, they should be taken in full.  I was also able to recycle my old dry acidophillus tablets to the swimming instructor at the fitness center (who often sat around in a wet bathing suit and got yeast infections, without ever knowing about probiotics) since I've moved on to the refrigerated multi-strain ones.

 

It's not good in general to give people medicine not prescribed for them, but in certain situations, where they would receive it anyway and it is from a trusted source (such as family), at least it avoids it going into the waste stream.

Joonie. I thought this article would interest you.


States Use Prescription Drug 'Recycling' Programs to Help Keep Soaring Medical Costs Down

April 6, 2008
By CANDICE CHOI
NEW YORK, Apr. 6, 2008 (AP Online delivered by Newstex) -- The struggle to keep soaring medical costs in check is feeding an increase in state programs that collect unused prescription drugs to give away to the uninsured and poor.
Some states allow donations of sealed drugs from individuals, while others only accept pharmaceuticals from institutions, such as doctor's offices or assisted-living homes. Drugs are typically vetted by pharmacists to cross-check safety, then distributed by hospitals, pharmacies or charitable clinics.
The type of drugs donated run the gamut and include antibiotics, antipsychotics, blood thinners and antidepressants.
At least 33 states have laws to allow or study drug recycling programs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Most state programs are just a few years old or still in the test stages, but officials envision huge gains.
In Iowa, David Fries, CEO of the Iowa Prescription Drug Corporation, said the program has the potential to double or triple in the near future. Officials in Tulsa, Okla. also see plenty of room for growth.
"There are millions of dollars of unused meds out there that have not been captured," said Linda Johnston, director of social services for Tulsa County.
Regulations to ensure safety vary from state to state, but the basic concept is the same.
"These are medications that would've otherwise been destroyed," said Roxanne Homar, Wyoming's state pharmacist.
A pilot program in Cheyenne, Wyo., last year netted ,000 in donated drugs to fill 557 prescriptions. State officials say that's just a small slice of the vast reserves of drugs that go to waste each year. The program is now working to get 0,000 in drugs it has online so it can be accessed by other programs in the state.
Drug recycling programs pay for themselves "by just working with one patient and saving them and keeping them out of the hospital over the long term," Iowa's Fries said.
Ensuring that a diabetic doesn't miss her medication, for example, might stave off "eye problems, foot problems, all kinds of medical conditions," he said.
It's still too early to measure the impact of drug recycling in offsetting the costs of emergency room and other hospital care for the uninsured. But when medical conditions go untreated, the financial toll is clear.
A study by the Commonwealth Fund in 2006 found 59 percent of uninsured people with chronic conditions either skipped a dose of their medicine or went without it because it was too expensive. One-third of that group visited an emergency room or stayed in a hospital overnight or did both, compared to 15 percent of their insured counterparts.
The costs to treat uninsured patients in Wyoming alone are staggering. Every year, hospitals there provide about 0 million in uncompensated care, according to Susie Scott, executive director for the Wyoming Health Care Commission.
There are between 80,000 to 90,000 uninsured in Wyoming, and their options for medical care are "generally limited to emergency room situations," Scott said.
In Iowa, hospitals in 2005 provided 5 million in uncompensated care, according to the state's hospital association.
Meanwhile, between March and December of last year, Iowa's drug recycling program collected 319,000 dosage units worth an estimated 2,000.
In the face of such enormous costs, saving a few dollars by using recycled drugs may seem futile. But the savings that could be achieved would add up over time.
In Louisiana last year, one charitable pharmacy in Baton Rouge filled over 38,000 presecriptions worth million, the vast majority of which were donated medications. Officials say they don't track how many people the state's recycled drug program has helped statewide.
"In health care reform, it's got to be a cumulative effect of a lot of different efforts. It seems like throwing a 10-foot rope down a 40-foot hole, but we have to begin somewhere," Scott said.
Officials in Oklahoma's Tulsa County agree; they've worked with charities since 2004 in a program to fill the prescriptions of county residents.
"We do know that the cost of not providing medications has a large ripple effect and impact on our community whether it's going to the emergency room, whether it's going to a nursing home early, dying early, missing school. If we don't get medicines to people who need them for their mental illnesses, they become homeless, they end up in jail," said Johnson.
Still, some states are having trouble getting their drug recycling programs off the ground.
In Florida, for example, a program created two years ago to get cancer drugs to the uninsured has languished. Only three of the 300 hospitals eligible to participate have signed up, taking in a total of seven drug donations. Critics say the program has lacked publicity.
And since drug recycling programs rely on donations, they're not seen as long-term solutions. But when successful, officials say they can help plug gaps in medication for those who live paycheck to paycheck.
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AP Business Writer Jonathan Drew in New York and Associated Press Writer Jessica Gresko in Tallahassee contributed to this story.

Newstex ID: AP-0001-24299212
Ultracet didn't do much for me at all, does it relieve your pain?  I take Vicodin right now for really bad pain, it certainly works