Healthy Skepticism Library item: 9793

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Ekedahl A.
Unused Drugs Returned to Pharmacies - A Few Patients Return a Large Proportion of the Unused Drugs
Journal of Social and Administrative Pharmacy 2003; 20:(6):257-258

Abstract:

Unused drugs returned to 2 pharmacies in Malmo in south Sweden were collected during 6 weeks. 1 077 packs were returned from 191 patients. The distribution of numbers of returned packs per patient was very skewed. Ten percent of the patients returned 50% of all unused drugs (12-101 packs per patient), whereas the majority, 69%, of the patients returned few (1-4) packs, constituting only 22% of all returned packs.