The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 263 No 7073 p861
November 27, 1999 Letters

Waste medicines

Case for monitoring

From R. H. Jackson, MRPharmS

SIR,—A patient of ours died recently, and a relative returned four bin liner bags of unused drugs which had been prescribed on a regular monthly basis from his doctor's surgery. I was amazed to find the following:

• 8 x 56 Adalat Retard 20mg
• 24 x 56 Prosatabrit
• 34 x 30g Dermovate ointment
• 35 x 28 Half Inderal 80mg
• 6 x 28 Inderal LA 160mg
• 20 x 50g Dithro cream 0.1 per cent
• 46 x 100 glyceryl trinitrate 500μg
• 20 x 60 quinine sulphate 300mg
• 73 x 10ml hypromellose eye drops
• 532 temazepam 10mg
• 200 warfarin 5mg
• 1 Canesten HC cream
• 1 Betnovate cream
• 1 Fucidin cream

The cost to the National Health Service (basic price only, not including dispensing fees, etc) is in excess of £806. Surely there is a strong case here for more domiciliary monitoring of drug compliance.

R. H. Jackson
Poole, Dorset