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Individuals and groups in Minnesota can now donate unused, unexpired veterinary drugs to benefit animals in need after a new law in effect earlier in July.

The program will reduce medical costs by reissuing donated medications for free to pet owners and animals in need. That can include individuals caring for animals or shelters, pounds and organizations such as the Animal Humane Society, according to Pamela Johnson, the executive director for the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine.

Johnson said it will also reduce veterinary drug waste since medication would have otherwise been discarded.

Now, pet owners and animal organizations will “have access to donated, unused, unexpired, unadulterated veterinary medications,” Johnson said.

Minnesota is one of the first states to adopt such a program, following Rhode Island, Nevada and Colorado.

“This new law creates an important opportunity to help address one of the most important challenges many pet parents face: cost of medications,” said Graham Brayshaw, chief medical officer for the Animal Humane Society.

Johnson and Brayshaw said, for safety reasons, the program will only accept medications in pill form as it is too difficult to detect tampering or measure stability of capsule and liquid medications. 

“It's up to the veterinarian who's dispensing or prescribing the medication to ensure all those safety parameters are met,” Johnson said,

Brayshaw said the greatest need is for preventive medications for issues like heartworm, flea and tickborne diseases as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief. 

People can donate medications right away, but Brayshaw said to check with veterinarians first to ensure they have a system in place to accept, store and reissue medications. The Animal Humane Society is still developing a process.

“We want to make sure that they are ready to receive these medications and redistribute them back out safely to the community,” Brayshaw said.

Nationwide data reports about one-third of people who have pets cannot afford regular vet care, Brayshaw said. That includes about 400,000 dogs and cats in the Twin Cities. 

The new law “is not a fix, but this is a good step in the right direction for getting care for all of them,” Brayshaw said.

The veterinary drug donation law was borne out of a recent overhaul of Minnesota’s Veterinary Practice Act, the regulatory framework for the practice of veterinary medicine and technology. Johnson said it was the first update to the Veterinary Practice Act in 30 years.

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Alex V. Cipolle

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A new Minnesota law allows unused veterinary drugs to be donated and reissued for free to animals in need.

Meds for pets! Minnesota becomes fourth state to adopt veterinary drug donation law

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