Your financial and in-kind donations to us ARE tax deductible.
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FAQs - Your Legal Liability Exposure for Donated Insulin Pumps and Supplies |
If I send items to iPump can I be held liable for any damages or complaints from the people who actually receive my donated items?
No, because we abide by the law when it comes to the handling and distribution of every single item that we receive. We do not distribute items that have expired, are damaged, contaminated, or in any way that are of questionable quality.
When you make a donation of an insulin pump or any kind of diabetes supplies to iPump we do not simply mail them off to individuals. We abide by the law. We require a prescription from a doctor for insulin pumps, supplies, syringes, and all other prescription items. Where state (or Federal) law prohibits us from sending supplies to a client, we don't. Instead, items are sent to a pharmacy, licensed distributor, or other licensed health practitioner where our clients pick up their supplies safely, and legally.
We never, under any circumstance send an insulin pump directly to a client. Donated pumps are always sent back to the manufacturer to be recertified and repaired if necessary to ensure that they are in working order. The pump is only distributed to the client after training by a licensed professional.
Before your make a donation to any organization be sure to ask if they require prescriptions, are licensed to distribute medical items, and if not, do they send prescription items and medical devices directly to their own clients? If the organization you donate to does not abide by pharmacy laws, you may have liability risk exposure for what happens to the items you donate even after they leave your possession.
Be especially wary if an organization does not take the step of ensuring any pump you donate is recertified BEFORE it is sent to a client. Because recertification is very expensive, some organizations may skip this important step. But even if your pump was working when you sent it, if it was damaged after it left your possession and is placed with a client, you may still have legal liability exposure.
Donated insulin pumps should always be recertified before being given away and they should be distributed by a licensed agency. Insulin pumps should never be given to clients without a doctor's involvement or before a client has received proper training on insulin pump use. iPump ensures that all these things take place to protect the donor, the client, and, iPump as well.
It is important to remember that Federal laws restricting the sale or distribution of medical devices and prescription items are enacted to protect both you and other consumers. If you illegally or improperly dispose of any prescription item including medical devices and medications, you may be held criminally liable not only for the transaction, but also if any injury occurs resulting from the transaction you can also be held liable for damages. It is also important to know that individual state's also have laws governing the sale or distribution of insulin pumps, insulin pump supplies, and other medical devices and prescription items that are usually even tougher than Federal laws.
