Inside Maine's medicine cabinet: Findings from the Drug Enforcement Administration's medication take-back events

H. Stewart, A. Malinowski, L. Ochs, J. Jaramillo, McCall, K., and M. Sullivan

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 1, e65-e71

Abstract: Objectives: We evaluated the quantity and type of medications obtained in unused-medications return programs and the proportion of medication waste. Methods: We analyzed data collected in 11 Maine cities in 2011 to 2013 during 6 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) national medication take-back events. Pharmacy doctoral student volunteers collected data under the supervision of law enforcement, independent of the DEA. Data entry into the Pharmaceutical Collection Monitoring System, through its interface with Micromedex, allowed for analysis ofmedication classification, controlled substance category, therapeutic class, and percentage of medication waste (units returned/units dispensed). Results: Medication take-back events resulted in return of 13 599 individual medications from1049 participants. We cataloged 553 019 units (capsules, tablets, milliliters, patches, or grams), representing 69.7% medication waste. Noncontrolled prescriptionmedications accounted for 56.4%of returns, followed by overthecounter medications (31.4%) and controlled prescription medications (9.1%). Conclusions: The significant quantities of medications, including controlled substances, returned and high degree of medication waste emphasize the need for medication collection programs to further public health research and improve health in our communities.

Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2014.302207_1

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302207

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