Does anyone know who would take unused medical dressings?

[NigellaAwesome]

I have a friend who has a very large collection of medical dressings - you know the sort which are contained in individual sterile packaging?

Fortunately, she no longer needs them, but she doesn't know if any organisations would take them. Her nurse seemed to think if they were returned to the pharmacy they would just dispose of them. These are really expensive, very large dressings, in date, and in unopened packets. There are hundreds of them.

It seems such a huge waste. Does anyone know of an organisation which would take them?

I would imagine a humanitarian organisation would be glad of them.

What about scouts etc for first aid practice?

Cadets/scouts/guides might make use of the for first aid lessons?

Or a local sports group for their first aid bags

I'm the lead first aider for my son's rugby club and I'd have been very grateful

My local pharmacy takes back dressings. Care homes are always short of them or maybe the practice nurse at the surgery.

How about local vets?

Great ideas - thank you. I might start with my local care home, or even the school nurse. They may be too specialised for first aid kits - they are the sort for dressing ulcerated skin.

Are there any pharmacists here who could confirm if they would be destroyed if given back?

Failing that, I might put them on freecycle. I've had a look at humanitarian organisations, and the only ones I have found that take unused supplies seem to be in the US.

Before you do anything phone the local pharmacy to check what they would do with them. My uncle died recently and the district nurse took back all of the unopened dressings etc.

I gave some to my GP surgery. The nurse was delighted to take them.
I had to buy my own dressings and go there to get wound packed and dressed. But the first time they used their own supplies. So I guessed they'd be happy to take what I had left over and they were.

One of the Dr's at my local hospital would take stuff they couldn't use to a clinic in Zambia. May be something like that near you.

We had this with my mil. The pharmacy would destroy them, so the district nurse took them and put them in her car. And I know not what happened next.

My Scout Group would have them. For actual first aid if they are still in date, or for practice if they are out of date.

I’m a pharmacist, I can confirm if you returned them to me they would absolutely be destroyed. We would never reuse anything that is returned, even if it was still sealed.