Can You Donate Unused Insulin?

The diabetes community is always looking out for each other, which is why we have people reaching out to us every week, asking "Where can I donate unused insulin?"

If you have unused, unopened, unexpired insulin on hand and you want to donate it, you have some options:

Think locally.  First, we suggest you check with your diabetes care team to see if there are families in your area who are in need. Also, see if there is a local charitable pharmacy, such as St. Vincent de Paul, that should gladly accept donations of insulin and diabetes care supplies. And lastly, reach out to local diabetes advocacy organizations (JDRF, ADA, support groups, etc) to see if they are aware of families who could use assistance.

Reach out to Insulin for Life. If you have trouble finding a local resource to take your insulin donations, the best option would be Insulin For Life. According to their website:  "IFL USA provides insulin and disease management supplies free of charge to those with diabetes who otherwise would go without these life-saving provisions. We collect in-date, unopened, supplies from individuals or organizations and, following careful inspection, deliver them to disadvantaged regions to be utilized by those in need. IFL-USA is fully licensed by the State of Florida to both receive and distribute medications for this purpose. All donations to the organization are tax-deductible in accordance with regulations."