Stop medication waste. Save lives.
Destruction of unused medication is not just wasteful, it’s also costly and harmful to the environment. Donate unused medications to help your community and benefit your organization.
Why donate?
It’s simple, really. 50 million people in the United States skip medication due to cost. Medication destruction costs $1-$3 per pound. And 70% of waterways are contaminated with pharmaceutical runoff. Your donations make a real, lasting impact.
Help your community
Expand your influence beyond your organization and help others in need.
Get tax benefits
Medicine donations may be eligible for an enhanced tax deduction, which could be a significant value to your business. Contact us to learn more.
Save money
Medication destruction is time consuming and costly for your organization. SIRUM allows you to donate your unused medication for free.
Help the environment
Medication destruction pollutes waterways with pharmaceutical runoff, and releases toxic dioxins into the air.
Feel complete confidence
We have helped with policies in over a dozen states that enable donations and provide full liability protection, so you can donate with complete confidence.
If you’re an individual wanting to donate, visit our individual donations page for more info.
How to donate
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Check your eligibility.
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Sign up for SIRUM.
Click the button below to register. Once your organization is approved, you can choose which program option is right for you and we’ll organize training for your staff.
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We send you everything you need for free.
This includes pre-paid shipping labels, boxes, packing tape, and even a regular courier service.
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Donate your unused medications.
Your organization saves time and money and helps those in need. Just let us know when a donation is ready and we will arrange the pickup.
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Everyone benefits.
We’ll send you a note detailing how much the medication was worth, and how many people it helped.
Pick your program
Donation is always free because we believe every single organization in the US should be donating rather than destroying their surplus medications. We do offer some paid options that make donation even more convenient for organizations.
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Any Organization
Sort
$0
- All shipping and materials are free.
- Organizations must sort and separate drugs that can be donated.
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Small Nursing Home / Assisted Living
No Sort
99 beds or less$600/year*
- All shipping and materials are free.
- Your staff no longer has to sort medication. Donate all of your non-controlled unexpired medicine.
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Large Nursing Home / Assisted Living
No Sort
100 beds or more$1000/year*
- All shipping and materials are free.
- Your staff no longer has to sort medication. Donate all of your non-controlled unexpired medicine.
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- If you represent multiple facilities or you have unique requirements, let’s talk.
- All shipping and materials are free.
- We’ll help you figure out the best option that makes sure you save money while doing the right thing.
* for most eligible states.
Learn How to Donate
FAQ
Getting started
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Can individuals donate? What if I have extra medicine in my medicine cabinet?
Yes. See www.sirum.org/individuals/ and we can help your medication get into the right hands through one of our partners. -
Is this program free?
Upon joining, donors can choose whether to donate based on a list of approved medications, which is free, or donate all of their unexpired, unopened, non-controlled medication, which costs a nominal fee. -
Why should I donate medicine when I can return them for credit?
Returning and donating are not exclusive, just donate the medicine you are not getting credit for. When looking at their credit statement, many organizations find that most of their medication is not creditable and can save more money with potential tax deductions than they currently get in credit.
How it works
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Can I donate expired medications?
We do not accept expired, opened, or controlled medications. We can sometimes accept refrigerated medications such as insulin. Upon joining, donors can choose whether to donate based on a list of approved medications, which is free, or donate all of their unexpired, unopened, non-controlled medication, which costs a nominal fee. -
Do you accept all medications?
We do not accept expired, opened, or controlled medications. We can sometimes accept refrigerated medications such as insulin. -
What if my facility type is not listed?
Contact us. -
How are matches made?
Our technology platform allows donor facilities to find a recipient clinic whose needs match their surplus. Donor facilities use fax or an online system to upload their surplus, and recipient clinics upload a list of medications to create a “formulary” of their commonly prescribed drugs. Donors choose from among the matching recipients by reviewing factors such as geographic proximity, percent matches, and name recognition. -
How does shipping work?
When the SIRUM box or mailer is full, just put on the pre-paid shipping label that we sent you after registration and let us know that the donation is ready. We will schedule a courier pick-up for the next day. Medicine is sent directly to the recipient and arrives within 2-3 days; donors and recipients can track the progress of the shipment online and with email notifications. We can also provide any shipping supplies you may need including boxes (for large donations), padded mailers (for small donations), and packing tape. -
What does unopened/sealed mean?
Donated medicine must have a tamper-evident seal around the medication. Bubble packs, blister packs, and bingo cards even if they only have a few pills left are okay. Outer packaging can be opened if there is an inner seal, such as a foil around inhalation solutions, even though the box was opened.
Compliance
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What records do I need to keep?
SIRUM works closely with each state to determine and create the appropriate donation records. In most cases your record keeping process will remain the same as your return or destruction record with SIRUM automatically transforming those records into those necessary for donation. Keep the record for your files, you do not need to put the record in the box. All records are available through your online account. -
Is this legal?
Yes. Donation is a new option. SIRUM works under each state’s recently-passed Good Samaritan Laws for Drug Donation. We are among the world’s leading experts on drug donation laws and regulations. -
What about patient information (HIPAA)?
When you register with SIRUM, we become your Business Associate and a Business Associate Addendum (BAA) requires us to maintain the the privacy and confidentiality of any medications that may still have patient information. We take this obligation very seriously and have strict protocols in place.
Didn’t find what you’re looking for?
Get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.