Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
University of British Columbia Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Int J Pharm Pract. 2023 Sep 30;31(5):562-564. doi: 10.1093/ijpp/riad062.
Considerable pharmaceutical waste is generated in hospital settings which can be reduced by recycling of unused medications. We sought to determine the recycling practices as well as quantify the volume and the value of oral solid medications returned from nursing units to the pharmacy departments at three urban hospitals.
Unused oral solid medications were recycled at three sites and the net financial impact of this practice was calculated (cost recovered - labour costs). The results were extrapolated to all 21 hospitals within the health system.
Recycling medications in 21 hospitals could divert ~461 000 units of medication from the incinerator, with an estimated net value of ~$415 000 per year.
Recycling unused medications could save substantial amounts of money and reduce negative environmental impacts from disposal/incineration.
医院会产生大量的药物浪费，而通过回收未使用的药物可以减少浪费。我们旨在确定回收实践，并量化从护理单元返回到三个城市医院药剂科的口服固体制剂的数量和价值。
在三个地点回收未使用的口服固体制剂，并计算这种做法的净财务影响（收回的成本-劳动力成本）。将结果外推到卫生系统内的所有 21 家医院。
在 21 家医院回收药物可以将约 461000 个单位的药物从焚化炉转移出来，每年估计价值约为 415000 美元。
回收未使用的药物可以节省大量资金，并减少处置/焚烧造成的负面环境影响。
