Ibruvica: Is There A Charity or Support Group That Collect

[DylanPxxx]

I was diagnosed with CLL 4 years ago and prescribed Ibruvica (Ibrutinib). It’s a great drug with few side effects. But it is very expensive, like around $170,000 a year according to some of the experts on here (my insurance covered it).

And also it stops working eventually, which is what has happened to me. My Oncologist switched me to a new treatment regime. In the meantime, my latest monthly delivery arrived (worth about $15,000) and the company will not take the drugs back. Does anyone know if there is anywhere I could send the unopened box to where it would be helpful/needed? Maybe there is a charity or support group that collects it for good purposes. It seems a crime for it to go to waste.

Any suggestions appreciated

[Spark_Plug]

I think it comes down to a matter of where one lives. Try your [State Name] .gov, there maybe an office in charge of Social Services.

🙂

[Newdawn Administrator]

Maybe different in the States but Social Services wouldn’t be involved with this kind of thing in the U.K.

The difficulty is, it’s illegal to give prescription drugs to another person and agencies couldn’t distribute without an individual medical practitioner’s authorisation. I also was left with a full bottle of Ibrutinib and thought how wasteful it was but there was no way of redistributing because they could be viewed as contaminated.

Newdawn

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

Contact Sirium sirum.org/

In the USA, whether you can donate unused medication dependends on your state.

Neil

[Guinness4822]

You can, in the UK, if your GP or pharmacist is registered with Intercare1+medical aid for Africa a charity that then sends drugs and other items to desperately poor countries in Africa. Based near where I live in Syston Leicestershire.Tony.

[mrsjsmith in reply to Guinness4822]

Thank you Tony that’s something I have never heard of before.

[cll2013]

When I had to give up taking Imbruvica, I gave the unused pills to my hematologist oncologist. He would handle it from there.

[LeoPa]

I would give it to my CLL specialist. He knows best who might need it and whom to give it.

[DanBro1]

I would toss them in the regular trash - not down the toilet. It cost the drug company less than $10 in direct cost to manufacture 30 days of pills. I had some leftover Venclexta (4 pills per day at $145 per pill) that I tossed. Made me feel very guilty... not!

[SofiaDeo in reply to DanBro1]

In the US, throwing them in the trash is only recommended if there's no take back program in one's area & a drug isn't on the "ok to flush" list. Some pharmacies, fire departments, other places sponser drug disposal programs, at least once a year.

fda.gov/consumers/consumer-...

[TWA4]

In the US I donated my IMBRUVICA to SIRUM.org My pharmacist told me about this organization.