The characteristics of drug wastage at the hospital, Tuanku Jaafar Seremban, Malaysia: A descriptive study

Objective: To identify the types and the costs of medication wastage. Methods: Excessive or extra medicines were collected from visiting hypertensive patients, from their houses. The medications were listed and the cost was calculated by using the cost price from the Integrated Store Hospital, Tuanku Jaafar Seremban, Malaysia. The returned medicines from the volunteer patients that were collected at the pharmacy counter in the hospital were listed and the cost was calculated by using the cost price. This study was conducted from June to November 2007. Results: A total of 20,799 excessive pills were collected, with an average of 202 pills per patient from visited hypertensive patients. The total cost which was lost or wasted was MYR 4,362.28, with the average wastage being MYR 42.35/patient. A total of 131,098 pills were collected from volunteers at the pharmacy counter, with an average of 21,850 pills per month. The total cost which was lost or wasted was MYR 59,566.50, with the average wastage being MYR 9,927.75 per month. Conclusion: The data on the patients' adherence and medicine wastage may provide useful information to the Ministry of Health with regards to the selection of the first-line medication which was recommended, based on the need to maintain a patient on a given treatment. Pharmacists should clearly explain the patients how to use their drugs and guide them through their initial periods of therapeutic inactivity and transient side-effects.