Cost of drugs wasted in the multiple-dose drug distribution system in long-term-care facilities.

The potential cost of discarding unused drugs packaged in multiple-dose containers for patients in long-term-care facilities (LTCFs) was studied. Data were collected during 1982-83 for patients in 12 LTCFs in the state of Washington that used modified unit dose drug distribution systems. When drugs were supplied in multiple-dose containers--by the Veterans Administration, a health maintenance organization, or another pharmacy--for patients in the LTCFs, the pharmacy providing services to the LTCFs routinely repackaged these drugs for unit dose distribution to these patients. The number of drug doses per month administered to all patients in each LTCF was recorded. The numbers of patients with multiple-dose prescriptions and the numbers of those whose medications were changed or discontinued were recorded, and the dollar value of the unused drugs, which would have been wasted if these patients' medications had been dispensed in multiple-dose containers, was calculated based on average wholesale prices. Based on approximately 100 patients per month for whom one or more medications were supplied in multiple-dose containers, annual average wholesale costs of drugs that would have been wasted were $56.50 per patient in 1982 and $67.57 per patient in 1983. Based on the 1983 average number of drug doses per patient in the 12 LTCFs and the pharmacy's cost of $0.02 per dose for unit-of-use packaging, the average cost of unit-of-use packaging per patient was $50.37.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)