[e-drug] Returned medicines and drug donations

["Colin Meek" <colin@ardessie.com>]

E-DRUG: Returned medicines and drug donations
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Dear Colleagues,

I am carrying out research on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical  
Society of Great Britain on medicines that have been returned to  
pharmacies and whether these should be used in international drug  
donations.

Currently the WHO Guidelines for Drug Donantions (revised 1999) state  
that 'no drugs should be donated that have been issued to patients  
and then returned to a pharmacy or elsewhere'.

I am looking for research evidence that either supports or  
contradicts that WHO position and I am hoping members of this list  
may be aware of work that has looked at this subject. I would be  
grateful for any opinions or resources on this issue.

This issue was recently the subject of the article: 'Returned  
Medicines: waste or a wasted opportunity?' By. Mackridge AJ and  
Marriott JF and published in the Journal of Public Health in 2007.  
Abstract: http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/ 
29/3/258

Many thanks,

Colin Meek
colin@ardessie.com

Consultant to Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.  
Professional Ethics, Practice and Quality Improvement Directorate.

[Whereas I applaud efforts to take a fresh look at any established concept, I really wonder whether we should continue to investigate the usefulness of sending second hand and near-expiry medicines to poorer countries. After some 20 years of work by a variety of individuals and groups to explain the undesirability of drug donations, and a clear consensus by most international players, the subject continues to surface at almost predictable moments. If there is a desire to help the poorer countries to meet their essential medicines needs, wouldn't it be better to just help them to procure it from the international not-for-profit sources? HH, E-drug moderator]