SPRINGFIELD – Nationally, an estimated $2.8 billion worth of medications are wasted annually. To provide Illinoisans with cheaper alternatives and transparency within the Illinois Drug Reuse Program, State Senator Mary Edly-Allen worked with State Representative Laura Faver Dias to bring House Bill 2346 to the Senate Public Health Committee.

“Medications can be ridiculously expensive, often leaving people to decide between rent, groceries or their life-saving medicine,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “This bill is critical to helping our most vulnerable communities and improves a well-established program that has helped countless Illinoisans.”

House Bill 2346 aims to strengthen the effectiveness of the Illinois Drug Reuse Program by increasing transparency for consumers, expanding access to safe, unused medications, and helping reduce medication waste.

The Illinois Department of Public Health would be required to develop and maintain a website listing the names and locations of participating pharmacies in the program. Information on the website would provide pharmacies and the public with steps on how to participate voluntarily.

In 2021, the governor signed legislation creating the Illinois Drug Reuse Opportunity Act (I-DROP) to ensure prescription medication can be safely repurposed for residents in need. The law formalizes the legal process for donating unused prescription drugs to certified pharmacies or health departments.

By establishing a prescription drug repository program, prescription and over-the-counter medication that remains unexpired and unopened can be returned to pharmacies and reused for eligible populations at little to no cost.

“Before I-DROP’s creation, millions of safe, unexpired medications in Illinois would go to waste,” said Edly-Allen. “People shouldn’t have to choose between medicine and food. I’m proud to carry this legislation through the Senate to make sure we eliminate medical waste and help save lives.”

House Bill 2346 passed the Senate Public Health Committee on Tuesday.

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