Donations of surplus medicines are legal in most states under “Good Samaritan” laws. However, perfectly good medicines are still flushed down the toilet or burned as toxic waste every day, according to Kiah Williams, one of the founders of the nonprofit called SIRUM (Supporting Initiatives to Redistribute Unused Medicine).
To help solve that problem, SIRUM provides an online platform that connects facilities that serve low-income patients to inventories of unused, unexpired prescription medications, according to the report.
Although individuals aren’t legally eligible to donate, SIRUM has enlisted more than 200 medicine donors, such as pharmacies. The medications are sent free of cost to clinics, county health systems and other healthcare providers in need of particular drugs.
Ms. Williams told The Wall Street Journal that most of the need is for drugs that treat chronic illnesses or mental health conditions.
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