How To Donate Supplies

REMEDY at Duke processes only unused surplus generated from within the Duke University Health System. We do NOT accept surplus items that have already been dispensed to patients or from any other outside sources.

How to donate:

If you are a Duke Hospital employee and have surplus patient care supplies in your work area, notify the materials services representative who supports your unit to determine if any of the supplies can be re-directed back into the supply chain or returned for credit.  If not, then they may be donated to the REMEDY program if they meet the following guidelines for what is acceptable.  Procurement & Supply Chain Services personnel have the primary responsibility for identifying and managing any and all surplus medical supplies provided by their department. 

Surplus Duke property such as furniture, machines, equipment, computers, monitors, etc. is handled by Duke University Procurement Services through their Asset Management Tool. For more information contact Procurement Services Customer Support at (919) 681-5900 or go to www.procurement.duke.edu

What supplies will REMEDY at Duke accept?

REMEDY at Duke seeks basic medical supplies needed for health screening, primary care and simple surgical procedures for use in medically under-resourced areas.

The most needed/requested items include:

  • Exam gloves and sterile surgical gloves
  • Masks, surgical caps, shoe covers, sterile surgical gowns, isolation gowns
  • Sterile surgical drapes
  • Gauze, bandage, tape, elastic wrap, Coban, cotton balls, cotton tipped applicators, adhesive strips, Xeroform, Mepilex and other wound care dressings
  • Syringes, injection needles, spinal needles
  • Suture packs (any size or type)
  • Antiseptic solutions, prep pads and swabs (alcohol, Chloroprep, Betadine, peroxide)
  • Urinary catheters, bags and Foley kits
  • Suction tubing and canisters, Yankauer tips, Hemovacs, Wound Vacs & drains
  • Respiratory tubing, masks, nasal cannulas, Ambu bag ventilators, nebulizer supplies
  • IV tubing, catheters, and start sets; IV fluids (must be greater than 6 months from expiration date)
  • Metal scissors, forceps, hemostats, suture removal kits, laceration trays and any metal surgical instruments
  • Diagnostic equipment including: stethoscopes, manual BP cuffs, tongue depressors, otoscope & thermometer probe covers, vaginal speculums, urine specimen cups and dipsticks, glucometers w/test strips
  • Orthopedic casting material (plaster, fiberglass, cast padding), unused slings, braces, immobilizers, crutches
  • Toiletries and personal hygiene supplies; instant ice/cold pack
  • Surgical procedure packs with minor damage to the outer plastic wrap (we can recover many of the clean items included in them)

ALL SINGLE USE ITEMS MUST BE CLEAN, UNUSED, UNEXPIRED AND IN ORIGINAL PACKAGING, WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS IF WITHIN ONE YEAR OF EXPIRATION DATE:

  • Bandage & dressing supplies
  • PPE or gloves
  • Topical antiseptics 

What we do NOT accept:

  • NO LAB SUPPLIES, including Vacutainer tubes, holders or needles, specimen tubes, pipettes, microscope slides, culture materials, transport media or containers
  • NO MEDICATIONS
  • NO DIALYSIS FLUID OR FEEDING TUBE FLUIDS OR TUBING
  • NO HIGHLY SPECIALIZED MEDICAL OR SURGICAL DEVICES (e.g. endoscopic instruments, cardiac catheters, SCDs, Cryocuffs or other items that must be attached to specialized machines or monitors)

NOTE: The following items are currently collected for reprocessing by Stryker Sustainability and should be placed in their collection hampers on the units:

      • Harmonics & Ligasure scalpels
      • MyoSure GYN systems
      • Endoscopic trocars
      • Laparoscopic scissors & graspers
      • Tourniquet Cuffs
      • ECG leads
      • SCD/DVT Sleeves
      • Fall/Chair Alarms
      • Pulse oximeters
      • Diagnostic cardiology catheters
      • EP cables
      • ICE catheters
      • Catheter Introducer Sheaths
      • Hovermat patient transfer mattresses

Where to take surplus supplies:

Surplus items that meet the above requirements for donation to REMEDY may be brought to either of the following locations:

  • Bagged items for REMEDY from DUH, DMP or Central Tower may be placed in either of two collection bins located on Level 0 at Duke North Hospital near the exit to the loading dock.
    • Take the staff elevator at North Hospital (the one behind the main lobby public elevator) to Level 0.
    • Take the hallway to the right as you exit the elevator alcove and follow the blue signs to the loading dock.
    • You’ll come to a fenced area on the left just before the large automatic doors that lead out to the loading dock.
    • There are 2 green REMEDY rolling bins in the hallway to the right next to a row of blue lockers. The bins are marked with REMEDY signage on the bins and on the wall above them.
  • Surplus may also be taken to the delivery entrance at the Duke Health warehouse, 100 Golden Drive, Durham. The warehouse is open Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:00pm. Follow signs to Delivery & Surplus to the rear of the building and go past the Life Flight parking garage to the loading dock area. The delivery office door is at the top of the ramp by the loading bays. Please label items “FOR REMEDY“.