| Summary: | According to a report from the Medical Products Agency in 2011, the Swedish drug waste from inpatient care was approximately 100 tons and from the public 1500 tons. At Stockholms Sjukhem, the weight of the annual drug waste is currently one to two tons. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to gain quantitative and qualitative data of drug waste produced at ten medical wards at Stockholms Sjukhem Bromma and Stockholms Sjukhem Kungsholmen through investigation of the content of drug waste bins for one week. There were 141 identified drugs in the disposal bins. However, a slightly larger number of drugs also found were not possible to identify and are therefore, not reported in our tables. Nurses are responsible for drug waste and therefore, a suitable group to interview. According to the nurses, expiration dates and prescription changes are among the most common reasons why drugs are discarded. The main cause of drug waste of the drugs identified was passed expiration dates. However, most of the waste consisted of empty packaging materials, while drug waste accounted for a very small proportion. In conclusion, an increased effort in education and improved routines in source sorting and drug handling would contribute to reduce the drug waste at Stockholms Sjukhem.
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