Waste

[ciye]

I have just over £900 worth of interferon in my fridge I no longer take and it will have to be destroyed. It was delivered in a cool bag and went straight in fridge but rules prevent hospitals reusing it. I recently checked medication in chemist, which I couldn't take as I hadn't left chemist it could go back on shelf of I had gone outside it would have gone to incinerator.... Absolutely wasteful we need a system were unused meds don't go to waste...

[EPguy]

I agree on the waste. But injectable medicine transfers between patients is rarely allowed. There are many meds where the same patient reuses the same batch, but the batch stays with that patient.

With Besremi it's even worse, each syringe is about USD-7000 and by their procedures most often goes to waste depending on the dose used. By that, £900 doesn't look so scary but it is still a shame.

[Wyebird]

I agree. When I started interferon I had loads of Hydroxicarbomide left and anagrelide. All to waste.

[william-Indo in reply to Wyebird]

I just donate rest of my HU to other who need it through doctor

[Wyebird in reply to william-Indo]

I contacted a medical charity and they would not take it.

I’m in the uk. That could be why.

I’m glad you could

[Heather270240]

Hi Ciye. I have the same with Jakafi. I have 12 packs of 15 mg and according to Parmacist at Guy's where I had them they can't accept them back. They suggest I take them to my local chemist to be disposed off. £65.00 per tablet.!! What a disgraceful waste when so many people can't get the drug.

[hunter5582]

IIt makes my skin crawl every time i waste 350mcg of Besremi, wasting 70% or about $4,900. I wish we could find a safe way to share the medication with others who cannot access it. Hopefully PharmaEssentia will come up with a less wasteful approach to dosing soon.

[EPguy in reply to hunter5582]

As we've discussed, as a minimum we should have the Euro option in USA, Bes in either 250 or 500 and two uses for each syringe per the label.

[hunter5582 in reply to EPguy]

Hopefully it will come to pass. PharmaEssentia may come up with a different administration device/option at some point Time will tell.

[Yvette49]

quite agree Ciye,

[Murdoch01]

you are so right, what a waste.

[SRH55]

I agree it such a waste. I was taken off Pegasys & returned the unused boxes to the hospital pharmacy & they just told me to put the whole lot in sharps bin. The boxes were sealed, but it seems such a waste when the drugs are so expensive.

[EPguy in reply to SRH55]

I think one (among who knows what others) reason they can't take returns from us is the risk that we didn't keep it properly refrigerated. At least for Bes there is no recording tag in it to keep track. In contrast they trust a pharmacy to keep it proper.

[ciye in reply to EPguy]

Most meds do not need to be in a fridge, "big pharma" certainly wouldn't want the health services re- issuing meds they would lose money...