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Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
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International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
Published in: International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy 6/2006

01-12-2006 | ORIGINAL PAPER

Reasons why medicines are returned to Swedish pharmacies unused

Author: Anders B. E. Ekedahl

Published in: International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy | Issue 6/2006

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Abstract

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-structered 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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Metadata
Title
Reasons why medicines are returned to Swedish pharmacies unused
Author
Anders B. E. Ekedahl
Publication date
01-12-2006
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy / Issue 6/2006
Print ISSN: 2210-7703
Electronic ISSN: 2210-7711
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-006-9055-1

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Live Webinar | 27-06-2024 | 18:00 (CEST)

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

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Live: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

WHO estimates that half of all patients worldwide are non-adherent to their prescribed medication. The consequences of poor adherence can be catastrophic, on both the individual and population level.

Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.

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