Willingness of patients to use unused medications returned to the pharmacy by another patient

Abstract

Background and objective: Redispensing by pharmacies of medications unused by another patient could contribute to optimal use of healthcare resources. Patient co-operation is essential for implementation of the redispensing process. However, insight into patient willingness to use redispensed medication is limited. This study aims to assess patient willingness to use medication returned by another patient and patient characteristics associated with this willingness. Setting and method: A survey was conducted in 41 community and 5 outpatient pharmacies between April-December 2014 in the Netherlands. Pharmacy visitors completed a questionnaire regarding their willingness to use medication returned unused to the pharmacy by another patient, assuming quality was guaranteed. Patient sociodemographic characteristics were also collected and their associations with patient willingness were analysed using logistic regression analysis, reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. Main outcome measures: The proportion of patients willing to use redispensed medication and patient characteristics associated with this willingness. Results: In total, 2215 patients (mean [SD] age 50.6 [18.0] years; 61.4% female) participated, 6.4% were returning medication for disposal. The majority (61.2%) was willing to use medication returned unused to the pharmacy by another patient. Patients who were unwilling mostly found it too risky. Men were more willing to use returned medication (OR 1.3 [1.1-1.6]), as did patients with a high educational level (OR 1.8 [1.3-2.5]), those who regularly use 1-3 medications (OR 1.3 [1.1-1.7]), those who returned medication to the pharmacy for disposal (OR 1.5 [1.0-2.3]) and those who ever had unused medications themselves (OR 1.3 [1.1-1.6]). Patients with non- Dutch cultural background were less willing to use returned medication (OR 0.3 [0.3-0.4]). Conclusion: When quality is guaranteed, a substantial proportion of patients are willing to use medication returned unused to the pharmacy by another patient. This suggests that implementation of redispensing is likely to be supported by a majority of patients. Further elucidating and addressing reasons for patient unwillingness may increase the success rate of implementation.