Medication Donations & Safe Disposal

Have leftover medications from your pet’s treatment? Whether your pet’s prescription has changed, a medication is no longer needed, or you’ve discovered expired medications at home, it’s important to handle unused medications safely.

Thanks to recent changes in Minnesota law, South Hyland Pet Hospital can now accept certain unused veterinary medications as donations.

However, not all medications qualify for donation, and our hospital is not an authorized medication disposal facility. Below, you’ll find information about what we can accept and how to safely dispose of medications that cannot be donated.

Donating Unused Medications to SHPH

We understand that medications sometimes go unused. When appropriate, donating eligible medications can help reduce unnecessary waste while allowing those medications to be put to good use.

South Hyland Pet Hospital accepts eligible medication donations on a case-by-case basis, following Minnesota law and our hospital’s medication safety protocols.

What Medications Can Be Donated?

To be considered for donation, medications must meet the following requirements:

• Originally dispensed by South Hyland Pet Hospital or purchased through our MyVetStore Online pharmacy.
• Not expired, with a clearly identifiable expiration date.
• Returned in their original South Hyland Pet Hospital prescription container with the prescription label intact, or in eligible original packaging approved by hospital management.
• In acceptable condition, with no concerns about contamination, deterioration, improper storage, or compromised medication integrity.
• Not classified as a controlled substance, drug of concern, or compounded medication.

Both opened and unopened medications may be considered for donation, provided they meet our acceptance criteria.

Individually packaged medications and other exceptions require management approval.

All donations are subject to inspection and approval by our team. We reserve the right to decline any medication that does not meet our safety standards or hospital policies.

Medication Donations Are Not Returns

South Hyland Pet Hospital does not accept medication returns for refunds, exchanges, or account credits.

Once a prescription medication has been dispensed and leaves our hospital, it cannot be returned to our pharmacy inventory for resale. This applies even if the medication is unopened, unused, or no longer needed.

Although eligible medications may now be accepted through our donation program, donating a medication does not qualify the original purchase for a refund or credit.

We appreciate your understanding that medication donations and medication returns are two separate processes.

How to Donate Medications

Please do not place medications of any kind in our community donation bin.

Our community donation bin is intended for pet food, pet supplies, and other eligible household necessities—not prescription medications.

To learn more about this separate initiative, visit our Community Support & Assistance page.

All medications being offered for donation must be brought directly to a South Hyland Pet Hospital team member for review. Our team must inspect and approve each medication before it can be accepted into our medication donation program.

Do not leave medications unattended in our lobby, donation bin, or elsewhere in the hospital. Medications that have not been reviewed and approved by our team are not considered accepted donations.

How Are Donated Medications Used?

Accepted medications are carefully evaluated, documented, and stored according to our hospital’s medication safety protocols.

When appropriate, eligible donated medications may be used in the care of our patients at the discretion of our veterinarians. All medications remain under veterinary oversight and are dispensed only when medically appropriate and in accordance with applicable regulations.

Our medication donation program is intended to reduce unnecessary medication waste while supporting responsible veterinary care. It is not a public medication distribution program, and donated medications are not available for clients to request.

Donated medications are never placed in our community donation bin or made available for clients to take.

Important Information About Medication Donations

Please keep the following in mind:

• Medication donations are voluntary and subject to approval.
• We cannot accept medications purchased through outside pharmacies or other veterinary hospitals.
• We do not accept expired medications, controlled substances, drugs of concern, or compounded medications.
• We cannot accept medications solely for disposal.
• Donated medications become the property of South Hyland Pet Hospital once accepted.
• Donated medications are never resold.

If a medication does not qualify for donation, it must be taken home for appropriate disposal.

Safe Medication Disposal

If your pet’s medication is expired, ineligible for donation, or simply needs to be discarded, we recommend using an authorized medication disposal location.

Improperly discarded medications can pose risks to children, pets, wildlife, and the environment.

Whenever possible, avoid flushing medications down the toilet or sink or placing them directly into household trash.

Local Medication Disposal Locations

The following Bloomington pharmacies have been listed as medication disposal locations:

CVS Pharmacy

8936 Lyndale Avenue South
Bloomington, MN 55420

Fairview Pharmacy – Oxboro Medical Building

600 West 98th Street
Bloomington, MN 55420

These facilities operate independently of South Hyland Pet Hospital. Please contact the location before visiting to confirm current availability, hours, and accepted medication types.

For a complete and regularly updated list of disposal locations throughout Hennepin County, visit:

Hennepin County – Medicine Disposal from Households

Hennepin County’s household medicine disposal program accepts many types of human and pet medications, including controlled substances, at participating collection sites.

Tips for Safely Disposing of Medications

• Keep medications in their original containers whenever possible.
• Remove or obscure personal information on prescription labels before disposal, while keeping the medication identifiable when required by the collection site.
• Check before bringing liquids, creams, inhalers, or other specialty medications, as acceptance policies vary.
• Do not place needles, syringes, or other sharps in medication disposal boxes. These require separate disposal.
• Keep unused medications securely stored and out of reach of children and pets until they can be donated or disposed of properly.
• Never give your pet’s leftover prescription medication to another animal without veterinary authorization.

Questions About Medication Donations?

If you have unused medications originally dispensed through South Hyland Pet Hospital or MyVetStore Online and aren’t sure whether they qualify for donation, please contact our team before bringing them in.

We can help clarify our donation requirements and direct you to appropriate disposal resources when necessary.

South Hyland Pet Hospital

Call or text: (952) 884-1868
Request an Appointment: PetDesk App
Email: southhyland@southhyland.com

Medication donation acceptance is at the discretion of South Hyland Pet Hospital and is subject to applicable laws, safety requirements, and hospital policies. Our medication donation process is not a public medication distribution or disposal program.