Prescription Drug Repository | Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

A Prescription Drug Repository Program (such as the one administered by the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services) is a state-regulated program designed to reduce medication waste and provide affordable drugs to individuals who are uninsured or underinsured.

Here is a breakdown of how it works:

Key Components

Donations: Individuals, long-term care facilities, and drug manufacturers can donate unneeded, sealed, or safely packaged prescription medications that meet safety and quality standards (e.g., non-controlled substances within their expiration dates).
Participating Repositories: Licensed pharmacies, hospitals, and nonprofit clinics voluntarily enroll as official repository sites. They receive, inspect, store, and dispense the donated medications.
Receiving Medications: Eligible patients can receive these donated drugs provided they have a valid prescription from an authorized healthcare provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can donate drugs to the program?

Any person, prescription drug manufacturer or distributor, pharmacy, health care provider or health care facility may donate their own drugs. See 19 CSR 20-50.020(1).

Can a long-term-care facility donate the unused drugs of a resident?

A long-term-care facility may not donate patient medications unless authorized to do so. See 19 CSR 20-50.020(4) and Prescription Drug Repository Ownership Record.

What medicines can (and cannot) be donated to the program?

Controlled substances such as narcotics and many medications to treat nervousness and insomnia may not be donated. Drugs that are sensitive to light or heat may be not be donated. Other drugs may be donated if they are packaged in original sealed and tamper-evident packaging such as blister-cards and have an expiration date that will not be reached for at least six months. See 19 CSR 20-50.025.

A member of my family recently passed away. Can I donate his/her left over medications to the program?

It depends. You may donate the medications if:

Your family member was a resident of a long-term-care facility.
You can demonstrate ownership of the medications. You will be required to sign a form certifying that you are the owner and that the drugs to be donated were not in the patient's possession.
The medications were dispensed in original sealed and tamper-evident unit dose packaging.
See 19 CSR 20-50.020.

What should I do with my (my family member's) unused medicines, if I cannot donate them?

You should destroy them beyond reclamation - destroy them so that no one can inadvertently take them and be harmed. The following are suggested ways to do this:

To destroy liquid medications: Open the container and pour the medication over/into an absorbent material such as kitty litter or paper products and dispose of in the regular trash just prior to pick-up.
To destroy tablets and capsules: Pour a small amount of cleaning fluid, such as liquid detergent, ammonia or bleach in the bottles with the medication and then dispose of in the regular trash just prior to pick-up.
Remove the patient name from any medicine containers. Place all containers in a sealed outer bag or box with no label.

I am the administrator of a long-term-care facility. One of our residents passed away. How do I go about donating the resident's left over medications to the program?

Unless you are also the executor of the resident's estate or have been authorized to donate the medications by the resident, you do not own the medications. Only the owner of unused medications may donate them. See 19 CSR 20-50.020(4).

How do I find a repository site where I may donate drugs?

There is a listing of the participating repository sites of which DHSS is aware on this web site, although this listing may not be all-inclusive.

What types of facilities/businesses can accept donated drugs?

Pharmacies, hospitals and nonprofit clinics may choose to participate in the Prescription Drug Repository Program, but participation in the program is not required.
See 19 CSR 20-50.010.

How do I find a repository site from which I may obtain donated drugs?

The web site has a listing of repository sites of which DHSS is aware, although the listing may not be all-inclusive.

How do I find out where the medicine I need has been donated?

There is no central database to track donated drugs. You will need to contact repository sites until you find the medication that you need.

What are the eligibility requirements to receive donated drugs?

To be eligible:

You must live in Missouri;
Have an income of less than three hundred percent (300%) of the federal poverty level; and
Have no other insurance coverage for drugs.
See 19 CSR 20-50.015.

Do I still need a prescription to get my medicine, even if it is donated?

Yes. You will need a valid prescription to obtain donated drugs.

What are the requirements to participate as a repository?

Any pharmacy, a hospital or a nonprofit clinic may choose to be a repository site.

Any participating pharmacy shall be licensed as a pharmacy by the Missouri State Board of Pharmacy;
Any participating hospital shall be licensed as a hospital by the Department of Health and Senior Services; and
Any participating nonprofit clinic shall be und the supervision of a physician licensed by the Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts.
See 19 CSR 20-50.010.

How much will I have to pay for a prescription filled with donated drugs?

A repository site may charge a handling fee. The handling fee may be no more than $8.18, which is 200% of the standard Medicaid professional dispensing fee for each prescription. See 19 CSR 20-50.035(7).

Can my pharmacy get drugs from other pharmacies for me?

Your pharmacy can get drugs from another pharmacy for you if both pharmacies are repository sites and from another, non-pharmacy repository site if the other repository site is licensed with the Missouri Board of Pharmacy as a drug distributor.

How do I prove that I am eligible to receive drugs?

You must provide proof of your income to a repository site. The repository site will issue an identification card to you if you qualify for the program.
See 19 CSR 20-50.015.

Can nursing homes use a deceased resident's unused drugs for other residents?

No.