NatRUM audit launched
July 12, 2016
THE Return and Disposal of
Unwanted Medicines Project
(NatRUM) has appointed a research
team from Queensland’s Griffith
University, to undertake an audit of
unwanted medicines returned from
all states and territories.
The researchers will also conduct
a general population awareness
survey, with the move following
a previous survey in 2013 which
concluded that the NatRUM
program is a “critically important
and highly valuable public health
initiative, safeguarding the health
of consumers in Australia and the
environment”.
The 2016 audit will build on
this previous body of evidence,
also providing an extrapolation
of the value of wastage to the
PBS by comparison with available
PBS dispensing data, as well as
providing further information
for consideration and use in the
broader post-market monitoring
program of medicine use.
A detailed analysis of the types
and amounts of medicines being
disposed of will be undertaken,
while a consumer household survey
will be undertaken to estimate the
numbers of Australian households
who are using the NatRUM service.
For those who are not utilising
the service the researchers will
also look at how awareness of the
program may be increased.
NatRUM Limited is a national
not-for-profit company overseen
by project manager Toni Riley, with
the program fully funded by the
Australian govt through to Jun 2018.
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