I used to take them to allergist office.  they put in sharps container

Quote from: CMdeux on September 27, 2016, 08:07:42 PM
This is what I'm wondering-- if our allergist could 'collect' them-- or a friend in a chem dept or pharmacology school.

That way there is a transfer to someone official, chain of custody can be arranged, etc. 

also-- this is NOT a 'controlled' substance via a drug schedule, so there is also that. 

In other words, I need NO license/approval to purchase epinephrine from Fisher, Sigma or anyone else.

That I can do.  I can make it rain... expired EpiPens AND Auvi-q in both dose strengths.  Bags of 'em at controlled temps.

There seems to be some research on this, but vague.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/09/27/why-epipens-expire-so-quickly/?postshare=1991474999508059&tid=ss_fb

This is what I'm wondering-- if our allergist could 'collect' them-- or a friend in a chem dept or pharmacology school.

That way there is a transfer to someone official, chain of custody can be arranged, etc. 

also-- this is NOT a 'controlled' substance via a drug schedule, so there is also that. 

In other words, I need NO license/approval to purchase epinephrine from Fisher, Sigma or anyone else. 

Our allergist's office takes them and puts them in their sharpes container.

My pharmacy takes them back so I stay on top of them and don't keep anything but the most recently expired set at home as a back up.

YKW, can you contact the pharmacy to ask what they suggest? Or check if you can drop them off at the hospital for disposal in a sharps bin?

Quote from: catelyn on August 31, 2016, 05:30:44 PM
Oh man, I only have maybe 4 expired ones.  Why would you keep that many expired ones?

I'm happy to be rid of them but pharmacies won't take them and just found out the expired drug round up for my county won't either.  What am I supposed to do with them?

Actually, name, I questioned the same in my initial response.  I had mentioned, if I could legally get them to the right person, I would be happy to help, but not sure that I can.  There will also be much unknown about the storage of the expired pens, especially since expiry. 

Forgive me for party-pooping, but in spotting a potential boo-boo... Can a controlled substance be transferred via USPS (or private delivery) even if expired?  Not to mention across state lines.

Quote from: spacecanada on August 31, 2016, 07:38:04 PM
Don't pharmacies everywhere take back medications and sharps for disposal?

Nope.  I called around, and none here would take them.  I only fairly recently, relative to how long we have been getting epipens, discovered that our Town Hall has a sharps disposal box. 

I recently brought a bag of old pills and liquids, both Rx and OTC along with epi-pens going back to about 2012. They were not accessible in an emergency.

I did recently discover that all 3 epi's we are carrying were expired.  And there were no refills on our scripts at the pharmacy. The day after I picked up new ones I found an unexpired one in the cupboard.

So currently I have 3 expired in 2015, 1 will expire in 2016, and 2 are good until 2017.

Don't pharmacies everywhere take back medications and sharps for disposal?

Disposing of them can be a challenge . . . . we never felt we should put one into regular trash, even if used.

Oh man, I only have maybe 4 expired ones.  Why would you keep that many expired ones? 

We have 50+ dating back many years.  We don't need that many for training and with two kids who carry them and have them at school, too, we have a LOT.