Past Contest Entries

Prescription for Waste

Huge pharmacy companies are paying to destroy perfectly good medicines, millions of dollars worth. And they’re doing it despite a law Ohio pioneered that was supposed to get those drugs to the growing number of patients who can’t afford lifesaving prescriptions.

Ohio pioneered a law in 2002 to encourage special pharmacy companies that sell ONLY to nursing homes and long term care facilities to donate medicine left over from patients who pass away or whose doctors change their prescriptions, to donate it to places like this one.

Tens of millions of dollars, still in tamper-proof packaging. But instead of donating, the I-team’s learned just about all of the state’s pharmacies have another solution for the unused meds nursing home patients never opened: They’re throwing it out.

Judges’ Comments:
“I was unaware of this issue; it’s an interesting angle of the uninsured story”
“The reporting, writing and story-telling are solid. A well-crafted report.”
“Good example of enterprise reporting and gets extra points for freshness”
“This story has national news potential”

Place:

Second Place

Year:

  • 2006

Category:

  • TV (Below Top 20 markets)

Affiliation:

WCPO-Cincinnati

Reporter:

Hagit Limor and Anthony Mirones

Links: