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Reasons why medicines are returned to Swedish pharmacies unused
1R&D Department, The National Corporation of Swedish Pharmacies, Medical Research Centre (MRC) Ing 59, University Hospital MAS, SE-205 02, Malmö, Sweden. anders.ekedahl@med.lu.se
Objective:
To identify the reasons and their relative importance why medicines are returned to Swedish pharmacies unused.
Setting:
A random sample of the pharmacies in Sweden.
Method:
Interviews using a semi-structured interview form with pharmacy customers returning unused medicines to the pharmacy.
Main Outcome Measure:
Reasons given by patients/relatives/carers for returning unused medicines to the pharmacy.
Results:
The four main reasons for returning unused medicines to the pharmacy were: (1) the medicines were too old, (2) the user had died, (3) there was no need for the medicine anymore, and (4) therapy changes. These reasons made up 75% of all reported reasons.
Conclusion:
Hoarding or over-supply of prescribed medicines may explain a large part of the volume of medicines that remain unused. Actions aiming to reduce waste of prescribed medicines ought to focus on those patients who contribute to a substantial part of all unused medicines.
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