Announcing the Prescription Drug Donation Repository Program:
Rx Connects
The 2020 Florida Legislature passed the Prescription Drug Donation Repository Program Act. As stated in section 465.1902, Florida Statutes, the purpose of this program is to facilitate the donation of unused and unopened prescription drugs and supplies to eligible patients.
How does the program work?
The law allows eligible entities to apply to the Florida Department of Health to become a repository. The law also allows certain entities to donate prescription drugs and supplies to one of the approved repositories. Finally, once the repository has the donated drug or supply on hand, an eligible patient can make an application to the repository for the drug (or supply) and receive it free of charge with a valid prescription.
Who is eligible to become a repository?
- Health care practitioner’s office
- Pharmacy
- Hospital with a closed drug delivery system*
- Nursing home with a closed drug delivery system*
- Free clinic or nonprofit health clinic that is licensed or permitted to dispense medicinal drugs in the state
Who is eligible to donate drugs and supplies?
- Pharmacy
- Hospital with a closed drug delivery system*
- Nursing home with a closed drug delivery system*
- Hospices that have maintained control of a patient’s prescription drugs
- Medical device manufacturers or suppliers
- Drug manufacturers or wholesale distributors
- Prescribers who receive prescription drugs or supplies directly from a drug manufacturer, wholesale distributor, or pharmacy
Donations cannot be made to a repository by an individual.
Who is eligible to request and receive drugs or supplies from a repository?
Any Florida resident who is indigent (at or below 200% of the federal poverty level) or who is underinsured or uninsured may become a patient of this program.
Help spread the word about Rx Connects, a program that has the potential to help many Floridians who are unable to afford their prescription drugs and supplies.
Additional information about Rx Connects is available on the program webpage. This program is managed by the Bureau of Public Health Pharmacy, Division of Emergency Preparedness and Community Support. Email inquiries may be sent to: PrescriptionDrugDonationProgram@FLHealth.gov.
*A closed drug delivery system means a system in which the actual control of the unit-dose medication package is maintained by the facility, rather than by the individual patient.
Originally published at https://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2022/08/20220831-fdoh-prescription-drug-donation-repository.article.html
