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Committee approves drug‑donation bill to widen access to unused, unopened medicines
Summary
Senate Health and Human Services advanced Senate Bill 289 after testimony from patient advocates, public‑health groups and a national repository operator; sponsor amendments clarified cold‑chain and donor definitions and the bill was sent unanimously to the Committee of the Whole and added to the consent calendar.
Senate Health and Human Services advanced Senate Bill 289 after a broad showing of support from patient advocates, nonprofit groups, pharmacy and distribution stakeholders and a national drug‑repository operator. The bill would create a statewide drug depository program to accept, inspect and redistribute eligible unopened, tamper‑evident medications to eligible, low‑income Coloradans under strict safety and recordkeeping rules.
Sponsor Senator Sandra Cutter told the committee the program aims to reduce medication waste, lower disposal costs and expand access to prescription medicines for uninsured or underinsured residents. "By supporting this bill, policymakers have an opportunity to create a legal framework for unopened and unused medications to become available for Coloradans who can't afford their medication," Cutter said.
Witnesses described use cases and safety safeguards. Gail DeVore, a volunteer patient advocate, described unused, unopened medications she had collected and urged lawmakers to permit legal return and redistribution. George Wong, co‑founder of a nonprofit that operates repository programs in multiple states, said similar programs nationwide have delivered millions of doses worth hundreds of millions of dollars in retail value to people in need.
Sponsors offered and the committee adopted several technical amendments that clarify how to handle medications requiring refrigerated storage (cold‑chain verification), define "individual donor" vs. entity donors and set parameters for handling and dispensing fees and expiration/recall handling. The sponsor emphasized the bill includes guardrails: only sealed/tamper‑evident, unexpired drugs may be donated; donors and recipients meet defined eligibility; and program partners must maintain records and adhere to safe storage and dispensing standards.
After the amendment phase, the committee unanimously moved SB 289 as amended to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation and placed the bill on the consent calendar.
If enacted, the program would rely on existing private and nonprofit networks, and industry participants urged a narrowly tailored approach to wholesalers and distribution facilities because of federal supply‑chain licensing requirements.
