Purpose

• The bill changes how Minnesota runs the medication repository program. It sets rules for accepting donated drugs and medical supplies, strengthens how donations are handled and tracked, allows purchasing from wholesalers when donations aren’t enough, and provides funding for the program.

Main provisions

• Donor donations and eligibility

  • Donors may give drugs or medical supplies to a central repository or local repositories if they meet the standards in the law.
  • Drug eligibility:
  • Expiration date is at least six months after the donation date.
  • If the expiration is less than six months but the drug is in high demand and can be used before it expires, it may still be accepted.
  • Must be in original sealed tamper-evident packaging with the expiration date.
  • Single-unit-dose packages must be unopened.
  • No signs of tampering, misbranding, deterioration, adulteration, or compromised integrity.
  • Storage should be at normal room temperature unless the manufacturer or USP requires different conditions (with some exceptions for direct donations from manufacturers, wholesalers, or Minnesota pharmacies).
  • Must not be a controlled substance.
  • Medical supply eligibility:
  • No tampering or misbranding; no evidence of adulteration.
  • Original unopened sealed packaging.
  • Expiration date at least six months after donation; exceptions if demand is high and it can be used before expiration.

• Donor form and verification

  • The Board will develop a donor form to be used before the first donation.
  • Before donation, repositories must verify and record:
  • Donor’s name, address, phone, and license number (if applicable).
  • Donor will donate in accordance with the program.
  • To the donor’s knowledge, items have been stored properly and have never been opened, used, tampered with, adulterated, or misbranded.

• Donation handling and inventory

  • Central or local repositories may receive donated drugs and supplies and must inspect them by a pharmacist or authorized practitioner before dispensing.
  • A drop box may not be used for donations.
  • Inventory requirements:
  • For each drug: name, strength, quantity, manufacturer, expiration date, and donation date.
  • For each medical supply: description, manufacturer, donation date, and if applicable brand name and expiration date.
  • The Board can waive some inventory details if a donor or a related entity is under common ownership with the repository.

• Use, purchase, and distribution

  • The central repository may buy drugs from a licensed wholesaler if donations are not enough to fill prescriptions.
  • Any purchased drugs used must eventually be allocated to other prescriptions, but the program aims to use donated drugs whenever possible.
  • The central and local repositories may distribute donated drugs and supplies to other participating repositories.

• Transfers and disposal

  • If a local repository does not dispense donated items, it must transfer all eligible items to the central repository, along with a copy of the donor form.
  • Local repositories must dispose of items that are not suitable for donation or dispensing.

• Funding

  • The bill appropriates 900,000 in fiscal year 2026 and 900,000 in fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to the Board of Pharmacy for a contract related to the program.
  • The base amount is 900,000 in fiscal years 2028 and 2029.

Significance and changes to law

• This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 151.555 (subdivisions 6 and 10) to codify detailed standards for accepting donations, donor verification, and inventory tracking; clarifies procedures for transferring donations between repositories; prohibits drop boxes; and creates a formal funding pathway to support the Medication Repository Program.

Implementation and oversight

• The Board of Pharmacy is responsible for:
  • Developing the donor form and overseeing donor verification.
  • Setting and enforcing standards for donation acceptance, packaging, and storage.
  • Maintaining or approving inventory records for drugs and supplies.
  • Coordinating distribution and transfers between repositories.
  • Administering the program’s funding contracts.

Relevant terms - medication repository program - central repository - local repository - donation - drugs and supplies - donor form - expiration date - six months - tamper-evident packaging - unopened packaging - original packaging - misbranding - adulteration - room temperature storage - United States Pharmacopeia (USP) - not a controlled substance - pharmacist - authorized practitioner - inventory - donor verification - donation date - manufacturer - strength - brand name - high demand - wholesaler - Board of Pharmacy - Minnesota Statutes 151.555 - appropriation - fiscal year (FY2026, FY2027, FY2028, FY2029)