what to do with unused unopened medical supplies

A question from a recently widowed friend at church and a reader both looking to donate unused medical supplies started me on a research quest this week for some answers.

Understandably, when people take unused medical equipment or supplies they no longer need afterwards a medical procedure or death, they want to notice a place to Pay It Frontwards.

Here'due south what I found: It's tricky and sometimes pasty for the receiving organization.

Dr. Jeff Kempf, who recently retired as an emergency room md and director of the office of pediatric global wellness at Akron Children'south Hospital, has for years served in medical missions in Haiti and the Dominican Republic with his wife, Dr. Ellen Kempf, as well a retired Children's physician.

"None of this is like shooting fish in a barrel. People offering with really good intentions and they want to do the right affair," said Dr. Jeff Kempf. Over the years, he has told donors, oft grieving families of a child who has died, that he volition take a look at what supplies they have and "do my all-time and tell people cheers. Some gets used and some doesn't," said Kempf, who is not currently accepting donations, but provided a really expert perspective on the subject.

Simply Kempf also doesn't want to give people imitation hope that all their donations are going to help people locally or in poor international countries.

It depends on the donations, the need and the cost to ship.

Medications are the biggest issue. In that location's no guarantee after medications are dispensed to a patient that they are all the same adept or how they've been used or stored, so no one will accept opened medications, said Kempf.

Some places will take medications that are nonetheless sealed with some type of foil, if it's a liquid.

For those used medications, over-the-counter medications and specially unused opioids in medicine cabinets, the best thing to practice is apply the costless prescription and medication disposal numberless. These numberless deactivate drugs after you fill it with water and render the chemical compounds safe for landfills.

According to the Summit County Customs Partnership, which works with organizations to get opioids and other drugs off the streets, the free bags are available at several locations: all Acme pharmacies, Discount Drug Mart locations in Superlative Canton only and all Akron-Summit County Public Library branches.

Free pouches tin can also be requested statewide at https://ohiorxdisposal.com/disposal-bag-asking/

If y'all tin can't get a bag, every bit a last resort, put the medicine in the trash with coffee grounds, kitty litter or anything that's food waste to discourage kids or animals from taking them. To protect waterways, do non affluent medications downwards the toilet or put them in the sink.

Locally, a proficient place for many unused or like-new medical supplies is the Open M Ministry's Free Medical Clinic. The clinic provides complimentary primary medical care by date for uninsured adults and is funded by grants and donations.

The clinic will take most things medical-related and if they can't use it, they'll concord information technology for another surface area ministry building called CAMO, the Primal American Medical Outreach out of Wooster, said Angel Seese, Open Thou'due south Medical Dispensary manager.

However, in that location are some things Seese said Open M won't accept: any used bedpans or showering or bathing items, even if they've been sanitized. Seese said once they received a donation of a bedpan that was still full.

Goodwill volition have these gently-used items: shower chairs (must be in similar-new status with no rust), walkers, wheelchairs, transfer chairs, scooters, crutches and at its retail locations simply, Goodwill accepts infirmary beds if they include the mattress (encased in plastic with no stains or rips) in practiced condition and working order. The other items can be dropped off at a Goodwill retail location or drop-off locations.

Goodwill will not accept bedpans, oxygen canisters, nebulizers, dehumidifiers and medications, said Jennifer Bako, Director of Public & Donor Relations

Dorsum at Open M, a new shower chair with the tags on would be accustomed, equally well as gently used crutches, walkers and wheelchairs, preferably foldable. The biggest outcome is storage for most organizations.

They will have used braces, such every bit for knees or backs and tin can sanitize them. They will too take unopened and unused bandages and elastic material bandage wraps.

Open Thousand will not have whatsoever opened medications, merely will take new bottles with protective foil. They volition as well have insulin, insulin pens and inhalers, as long equally they are unopened and not expired.

Seese said they are too in need of over-the-counter vitamins and hurting relievers such as Aleve (naproxen), Tylenol (acetaminophen) and baby aspirin — all unopened. Nebulizers and masks and adult diapers can also exist accepted.

If you're unsure, call the clinic at 330-434-0110. Donations tin be dropped off at Open M at 941 Princeton St. in Akron during normal business hours.

CAMO helps provide medical supplies to poor rural areas in Republic of honduras.

"The things that are really needed are colostomy items, wound-care items and respiratory care items," said Executive Managing director Kathy Tschiegg, who added she is also overrun with walkers, crutches and wheelchairs and can't take them.

CAMO ships nine, 40-foot containers a year total of medical equipment and supplies from individual donors and local hospitals and groups in Northeast Ohio, she said.

"The front line is where we need the most; those poor rural clinics need gauze and record and (rubberband bandage) wraps," she said. There's even an orphan nursing home of senior citizens that tin use adult diapers. Tschiegg said she volition take opened packs, equally long as they are all the same clean.

Another resource for perhaps a wider diverseness of medical items, if you're willing to drive up to a Cleveland driblet-off site, is an organisation Kempf mentioned: Medwish. The system takes donations mostly from hospitals and institutions past repurposing medical supplies and equipment in developing countries. Unused, non-expired medical supplies and equipment can be dropped off Tuesday through Fri from 8 a.k. to 4:xxx p.chiliad. at 1625 E. 31st St. in Cleveland or telephone call 216-692-1685 if you need some other time. For a full list of what is accustomed, go to www.medwish.org/give/medical-supplies/

One more than arrangement that collects some supplies is the Joni and Friends, an international disability ministry. Steve Gordon locally serves equally 1 of the volunteers who collects transmission wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes and parts. Once they are collected, they are sent to i of 15 prisons through out the United States where they are repaired and then sent through out the globe to those in demand, Gordon said. He can exist emailed at chaircorpssteve@earthlink.net or more information nigh other collection points can be found at world wide web.joniandfriends.org

Beacon Journal consumer columnist and medical reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ and see all her stories at www.ohio.com/topics/linfisher

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Source: https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/lifestyle/health-fitness/2019/08/30/what-to-do-with-leftover/2797950007/

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