Innovating an end-user drug donation program after Ohio Repository Law Expansion

Background

St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy (SVDPCP), located in Cincinnati, OH, is a last-resort, safety-net pharmacy for uninsured and underinsured individuals living in Southwestern Ohio that provides prescriptions and other clinical services for no charge. Approximately 87% of prescriptions are filled with medication donations from licensed redistributors, but many medications remain unavailable. In January 2023, Ohio House Bill 558 was signed into law, permitting end users to donate their unexpired, unused medications to Ohio drug repository programs.

Objectives

This program aimed to establish a sustainable workflow for accepting end-user donations, increase the portion of prescriptions dispensed from this donated source, reduce expenditures on drug procurement, and collaborate with community partners for donation referrals.

Practice description and innovation

SVDPCP assists donors in completing the donation record. Donated medications are quarantined in a designated area until a licensed pharmacist can conduct a quality assurance check, ensuring that products are suitable for redispensing. Medications are marked before integration into the pharmacy’s inventory. Prescriptions filled with donated medications are reflected in the pharmacy processing software. Records are filed for 3 years.

Results

There were 209 end-user donations in the first 6 months of the program. Diabetes medications were the most common donation (53%). SVDPCP saved more than $5000 in drug procurement, permitting reallocation of funds toward more costly medications.

Evaluation and quality improvement: This program was conducted via 3 2-week-long Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles with a global aim of increasing donation acceptance efficiency.

Implications and conclusions

This new end-user drug donation program is one of the first of its kind in Ohio and could serve as a framework for other repository programs in the state. Repository programs aiming to implement end-user donations should take into consideration the personnel and storage space needed for quarantined donations and donation processing.