NEW Zealand pharmacists are calling for a national drug disposal system as vast quantities are suspected of finishing their existence down the toilet or in the tip, according to a report by RNZ.
The estimated cost of wasted medicines is about $40m a year or about 5% of the country's $800m annual spend on pharmaceuticals.
NZ Pharmacy Guild board member Anthony Roberts said the true cost of wasted drugs was much higher because the estimate did not include the negative effects on health from poor adherence.
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