Pharmaceutical Waste Reduction Strategies

Rotate drug stock

Medications nearing expiration are reallocated to areas of high use. For example, drugs in patient floor medication cabinets, crash carts, malignant hyperthermia kits and other decentralized locations can be allocated to the Emergency Department. Or, drugs within storage areas can be arranged so that the oldest stock is used first.

Reduces Amount: Yes
Reduces Toxicity: No

Examples of Applying this Strategy

Generic Drug: Epinephrine

Hennepin County Medical Center Pharmacy technicians use this method to prevent epinephrine wastage and a MnTAP intern in Wadena'sTri-County Hospital showed that 6 vials of epinephrine could be saved by moving drugs nearing their expiration to higher use areas.

Proprietary Drug(s): Epinephrine
Delivery Method(s): Intravenous (IV), Injectable

For more information:

http://www.mntap.umn.edu/health/resources/94FS.PharmWaste.pdf

MnTAP
200 Oak Street SE, Sutie 350
Minneapolis, MN, 55455-2008

Phone: (612) 624-1300
Fax: (612) 624-3370

Generic Drug: Nitroglycerin

Nitroglycerin syringes and vials can be rotated from general crash carts when they near expiration to the Emergency Department or ICU/CCU three months before they would otherwise be removed.

Proprietary Drug(s): Nitroglycerin in Dextrose, Nitroglycerin, Nitrolingual, NitroMist, Nitrolingual Pumpspray, Nitroglycerin Lingual
Delivery Method(s): Injectable, Inhalation

For more information:

Smith, Charlotte, Pines, Eydie et al. "Managing Pharmaceutical Waste: A 10-Step Blueprint for Healthcare Facilities In the United States." Practice Greenhealth, 2008.

Healthcare Environmental Resource Center

Phone: (734) 995-7989

Generic Drug: Lidocaine

A MnTAP intern in Wadena's Tri-County Hospital showed that 15 vials of lidocaine could be saved by moving drugs nearing their expiration date to higher-use areas.

Proprietary Drug(s): Lidocaine, Lidocaine Hydrochloride, Xylocaine
Delivery Method(s): Intravenous (IV), Injectable

For more information:

http://www.mntap.umn.edu/health/resources/94FS.PharmWaste.pdf

MnTAP
200 Oak Street SE, Sutie 350
Minneapolis, MN 55455-2008

Phone: (612) 624-1300
Fax: (612) 624-3370

Generic Drug: Epinephrine

Epinephrine syringes and vials can be rotated from general crash carts when they near expiration to the Emergency Department or ICU/CCU three months before they would otherwise be removed.

Proprietary Drug(s): Epinephrine, EpiPen, Twinject, Adrenaclick
Delivery Method(s): Intravenous (IV), Injectable

For more information:

Smith, Charlotte, Pines, Eydie et al. "Managing Pharmaceutical Waste: A 10-Step Blueprint for Healthcare Facilities In the United States." Practice Greenhealth, 2008.

Healthcare Environmental Resource Center

Phone: (734) 995-7989


Additional Resources

"In Struggle to Cut Expenses, Hospitals Eye the Pharmacy" --article from Hospital & Health Networks magazine
http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=HHNMAG/Article/data/
11NOV2011/1111HHN_FEA_pharmacy&domain=HHNMAG