Medication wastage : the current situation

Abstract

Reducing any wastage, including that of medication, is an important priority objective at both a national and European level due to the direct and indirect consequeces of wastage. Following an in-depth study, medication wastage has been defined in the Maltese context. This provides a common ground on which to base local policy to address the issue. The extent of medication wastage has been studied and documented in various countries. Yet to date there is still a lack of policy guidance in relation to medication wastage. This paper highlights the available literature in relation to medication wastage and urges the need to further explore and implement wastage reduction strategies.