WA Parliamentary Question regarding the value and reasons for disposal of medicines in hospitals year-to-date 2019, revealing significant wastage due to expiration and other factors.

AnsweredQoN 5477Legislative Assembly
Asked
18 September 2019
Portfolio
Deputy Premier; Minister for Health; Mental Health

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the disposal of medicines at hospitals for 2019 year to date, and ask: (a) What was the approximate total value of the disposed medicines: (i) Of these, what was the approximate total value of schedule 8 medicines; and (b) How many medicines were disposed of due to: (i) Contamination, and how many of these were schedule 8; (ii) Expiration, and how many of these were schedule 8; (iii) Damage, and how many of these were schedule 8; and (iv) Other reasons (if so, what were the reasons), and how many of these were schedule 8?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
29 October 2019
Response time
11 days
I am advised:
(a) $754,262.00
(i) $34,462.00
(b)(i) 3 were disposed of due to contamination of which none were schedule 8 medicines..
(ii) 10709 were disposed of due to expiration of which 891 were schedule 8 medicines.
(iii) 999 were disposed of due to damage of which 42 were schedule 8 medicines.
(iv) 1828 were disposed of due to other reasons of which 89 were schedule 8.
Other reasons include storage condition breach, accidentally destroyed, patients own medications (requested destruction), patient sterile/compounded medication ceased, compounding error, medication not on formulary, unsuitable for use, new formulation and capsule size, open blister strip, new brand received, recall, patient refusal, batch number illegible, questionable expiry due to opened foil, dispensing disposal, part pack quantity, faulty stock, dispensing error, no batch or expiry date, spillage, compassionate access treatment ceased, return of oversupply to patient, end of bottle reconciliation adjustment, product redesigned and superseded, loss through filtration, extraction volume less, incorrect product packed in seizure kit, clinical trial closed and medication was no longer required, dispensed medications not collected by patients.

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