Randolph student leads effort to provide free medications to those in need | WAAYTV.com

Julia Miller Feb 14, 2025

Going above and beyond to help others in the community has no age limit! One Randolph School student has made it his mission to ensure people don’t go without the medications they desperately need—no matter their circumstances.

WAAY 31 spoke with 16-year-old Adi Gowda on Friday to get a closer look at the "Donate Ur Meds" program, which collects unexpired surplus medications and makes them available to people without insurance.

Gowda said, “I didn't know before what insulin pens cost, what normal medicine costs, or that $11 million of meds are thrown out each year. That's crazy.”

Eye-opening, that’s how Randolph junior Gowda describes his "Donate Ur Meds" program.

He says it wouldn’t have been possible without his parents—both doctors at Huntsville Hospital—who helped him see the need firsthand.

“My mom would sometimes tell me stories about patients at her clinic who would complain about having too many medications and stuff like that, maybe because of prescriptions that were auto-filling themselves. And then I myself knew about patients from the CMM who didn't always have all the medications and supplies they needed to treat their conditions,” said Gowda.

That’s what inspired Adi to start "Donate Ur Meds" as a ninth grader. Since then, it's taken off—providing over $200,000 worth of prescription drugs, over-the-counter meds, and medical supplies to the Huntsville Community Free Clinic and Clínica Médica Moscati.

Gowda said, “I personally can't say I can take much credit for this. If you ask me, I think the people who should take credit, who deserve to feel good, are the people who are donating, the people who vet this stuff, and dispense this stuff. I'm just a middleman.”

But his work does more than help people in need—it also helps the environment.

“All the medicines people don't use will just be dumped down the toilet and then flushed, so that’s a problem for the environment. Our water supplies are going to be contaminated with the medicines that people flush down their toilets or the sink,” said Gowda.

To keep everything legal and safe, Gowda follows Alabama Department of Public Health guidelines. He collects donations, but clinic staff vet the medications—ensuring they’re unopened, unused, and properly stored before redistribution.

And he hopes to expand.

“If any clinics are interested in getting support, like getting more medications, we are open to handing it out to another clinic. Besides, we are also getting offers from other pharmacies and those who want to give their medicines,” Gowda said.

Adi encourages anyone with surplus medications to consider donating and making a difference through his program.

Source : WAAYtv.com