Every day, patients like like my own son are forced to use mail order pharmacies owned by insurance companies' pharmacy benefit managers, leaving them no choice but to expose life-saving medications to extreme temperatures shipped mostly in flimsy bags. This is often the only option covered by their plans, despite the risks to safety and effectiveness.
Without warning, medications are often exposed to dangerously high temperatures during transit—sometimes reaching twice the recommended room temperature. Even room temperature medications can lose their effectiveness or even become harmful, yet this issue often goes unnoticed. That’s why we’re launching a project to shed light on the real-world conditions that affect the safety of your prescriptions. And we need your help.
You can help in two ways:
- Make a donation to support this project and our advocacy.
- Are you a patient, caregiver or mail sorter, or package handler? We are looking for patients who receive medications by mail or any one who works with medications in transit to volunteer to record the temperature readings in any of the following points: doorstep, mailboxes, package storage/sorting areas, pharmacies, or delivery vehicles. A free infrared temperature sensor will be provided to those selected as they become available and dependent upon the number of sensors available and location as we will try to cover as much of our nation as possible. We will allow participants to be anonymous to the public if needed. Our goal is start tracking temperatures starting this summer. If you are willing to volunteer to be a participant, please email loretta@uniteforsafemeds.org
Your involvement can make a real difference!
This isn’t just about research—it’s about protecting health, demanding transparency, and ensuring that no one has to wonder if their medication is still safe to use.
Thank you for your support!
Loretta Boesing, Patient Advocate