Donate Diabetes Supplies – How To + Top Options

Looking to make a switch to a new glucose meter, but you still have months and months of strips and cartridges to get through and want to make sure they get used?

First off, good for you for not wanting to be wasteful! Diabetes supplies are tough to come by—which we’ll get to later—and we should all do what we can to ensure no strip, pens, or cartridges are wasted.

The good news is that it’s incredibly easy to donate those old supplies, allowing you to enjoy your new glucose meter without worrying about wasting unused diabetes supplies.

Today we’ll break down the steps to take to donate your unused supplies to ensure they get in the right hands. But first, let’s talk about the current state of diabetes supplies and medication.

Why Diabetes Supplies Can Be Hard to Come By

We are in an unfortunate period of time where the access and affordability of diabetes supplies are severely restricted. In a perfect world, everyone would be entitled to cost-effective insulin and other medication or supplies they need to manage their diabetes. While some steps have been made to combat this high cost of entry into diabetes supplies, we still have a long way to go.

Here are some of the most common barriers of entry that can make it near impossible for people to get their diabetes supplies:

• The extremely high cost of insulin and blood glucose test strips
• Lack of education on proper diabetes management
• No home refrigeration (to keep insulin at the proper temperature)
• Insufficient resources for diabetes care

Because of these high entry barriers, lower-income individuals and families may not ever receive the important supplies they need to take care of themselves or a loved one.

That’s where donating unused supplies comes into play. You can donate unused, unopened diabetes supplies to many fantastic organizations looking to get insulin vials, pens, cartridges, and more to those that need them.

Let’s talk about how to donate diabetes supplies to ensure you don’t waste anything.

Donating Diabetes Supplies

Gathering Your Supplies

Step one of donating your diabetes supplies is finding all of your unused supplies. It’s essential that the supplies have not been opened or expired. Otherwise, the organization will not accept them.

Diabetes supplies that will typically be accepted (though each donation organization has its own criteria) include:

• Lancing devices
• Glucose strips
• Glucose meters
• Glucagon
• Pen needles
• Lancets
• Syringes
• A1c test kits
• Insulin cartridges
• Insulin pens
• Insulin vials

Gather all those leftover supplies you have and double-check to ensure it’s not expired and/or opened.

Finding the Right Organization to Donate to

There are some great organizations out there that are ready to accept your unused diabetes supplies and get them to someone who needs them.

Here are several of our favorites:

Integrated Diabetes Services – IDS will collect diabetes equipment such as current CGM supplies, insulin (if local to the Philadelphia area), current insulin pump supplies and insulin pumps. They’ll take your old supplies and give them to people with diabetes in the US and worldwide.

How to donate: To donate or reuqest supplies simply email info@integrateddiabetes.com.

Insulin for Life – IFL is a well-known nonprofit specializing in collecting diabetes supplies and distributing them around the world to those who do not have access to the treatments that need to control their diabetes. They accept all of the supplies we listed earlier.

How to donate: Head over to their donate page, where you can download and print a shipping label so you can mail your supplies. To ensure that you pack and ship your supplies safely, head to their shipping guide here.

SafeNetRX – Unlike other organizations on this list, SafeNetRX focuses its attention on a single location instead—Iowa. As this American Diabetes Association report notes, Iowa is struggling with diabetes management. SafeNetRX distributions supplies to Iowans that are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, as well as uninsured or under-insured individuals.

How to donate: Head over to their donate page.

CR3 Diabetes Association – CR3 is a little more particular on what they’ll accept for devices and supplies. They are currently accepting: Medtronic insulin pumps, 630G, 670G, and 530g (551 & 751 only).

How to donate: Head over to their donating and mailing page here.

Looking to Upgrade Your Glucose Meter? Choose Pops’ Rebel + Mina!

Easy to use and carry, Rebel is one of the top digital care solutions for people with diabetes.

Pops has seamlessly combined a traditional test kit into a single meter that has Bluetooth capabilities. That’s right; you can connect it to your phone.

This not only makes Rebel a cinch to use but carrying around a glucose meter has never been easier. Pops has taken the work out of testing, making it much easier to test on the go.

But, Rebel doesn’t work alone. Mina is the virtual coach that comes with the meter. She will help you stay on top of your blood sugar testing and encourage you to be more active. Mina will even ask questions to get to know you better. This integrated virtual care system helps people with diabetes own their lives.

If you are interested in learning more about Rebel + Mina, reach out to Pops Diabetes Care today! Also, head over to our guide of the top glucose meters to see some of the other top options out there.