Effective stock control reduces medicine waste — Pharmacists

AMMAN — Increased collaboration between suppliers, pharmacies and hospitals can reduce medicine waste, according to pharmacists.

“Although these results are worrying, they don’t surprise me,” Pharmacist Dana Manasra told The Jordan Times, commenting on a study which estimated that pharmaceutical waste in Jordan measures JD250 million a year. 

The study, which highlighted wasteful practices in the health sector, was released by the Amman Group for Future Dialogues (Jamaat Amman) on Saturday. 

“The issue of expired or unused medications seems impossible to avoid,” Manasra said, noting that it causes financial burdens for most, if not all pharmacies. 

She added that while this can sometimes be attributed to a mismanagement of the pharmacy’s stock, there are other causes to consider. 

“The demand for certain medications sometimes shifts to other alternatives, either due to trends or collaborations between doctors and pharmaceutical companies,” she said. 

Manasra also pointed out that more collaboration between pharmacies and suppliers is needed to arrive at better ways to manage soon-to-be expired medicines. 

Abdallah Allomazi, another local pharmacist, also had a similar opinion. 

“Some suppliers and distributors redispense unused medicines three to six months before their expiry date to hospitals or other institutions where there’s a better demand for them,” he told The Jordan Times. 

Moreover, Allomazi noted that poor drug supply and inventory management are the main causes behind pharmaceutical waste. 

“For example, ordering extremely large quantities of medicines which aren’t prescribed or needed very often is irresponsible,” he said.

Procurement officers also have a responsibility to ensure that purchase orders are on par with the market demand, he added. 

“There is barely a pharmacy in Jordan that isn’t dealing with the issue of medicine waste, but the amount of waste can be greatly reduced if purchases are managed well,” Allomazi continued.