Recycle / donate unopened and unused insulin pens?

[ThePQ88]

Hi - I have recently switched from Novomix 30 insulin to Novorapid & Lantus.

However, I have 2 or 3 boxes of unopened and unused Novomix 30 disposable insulin pens.

Anyone know what's best to do with these?

Anywhere I can donate them to or places that recycle them...??

Cheers

 

[asparagusp]

The pharmacist will take them but unfortunately will simply dispose of them ie throw them out. You could simply hold on to them in case the new medication doesn't work?

Maybe we should have an online sticky thread for "passing on" unused medication?

 

[noblehead]

Anywhere I can donate them to or places that recycle them...??

I'm sure someone said the IDDT take unopened insulin and donate them to third world countries, here is their contact details if you want to ask:

http://www.iddt.org/here-to-help/contact-us

 

[asparagusp]

I'm sure someone said the IDDT take unopened insulin and donate them to third world countries, here is their contact details if you want to ask:

http://www.iddt.org/here-to-help/contact-us

Yes but once the insulin is out of the fridge and into a equally cold environment within an hour, the insulin will be useless surely?

 

[noblehead]

Yes but once the insulin is out of the fridge and into a equally cold environment within an hour, the insulin will be useless surely?

I'm not sure how organisations/charity's handle this @asparagusp

 

[catherinecherub]

This from IDDT.
The need is for:

• No longer needed, unopened and in-date insulin [with at least 3 months to the expiry date]
• Syringes, lancets, needles
• Glucose test strips

http://www.iddt.org/here-to-help/helping-developing-countries

 

[CapnGrumpy]

Yes but once the insulin is out of the fridge and into a equally cold environment within an hour, the insulin will be useless surely

It can be out of the fridge for a month and be totally fine. After that its potency goes down but slightly degraded insulin is still better than no insulin.

 

[RyanJamesAvery]

I’m looking at doing this as I have a load of novorapid and levmir I don’t use. Would be good to know if anyone has anywhere else they can send it. I’m looking at the first clinic in Sierra Leone currently who have 5 type one patients in the entire country.