Pharma waste Problem

Story Line

1. Pharma waste management is a global problem

2. India is losing significantly
3. Companies need to know about their stock at the retail Inventory level
4. Reverse Supply Chain Importance
5. Better marketing
6. Provide Investor Metrics Efficiency of Supply Chain
7. We did a study availability problem,,,
8. Shooting from the hipNo visibility to the inventory
9. Archaic Practices
10.
11.
12.Industry should report Expiry and other operational mnetrics..

About 3% of over-the-counter medications are not used before it expires. And some studies
have found that up to 40% of Americans have expired medication in their household. It ends
up in sewers and eventually the water supply; or it can make its way to landfills if thrown in
the trash, essentially posing a health risk to people and wildlife.

1. An average of 1.5% of value is lost every year by way of expiry for big pharma companies.
The expiry can be high in specialty therapeutic categories like- neuro, derma and low for
anti-infectives category.

2. An MIS is maintained which is monitored rigorously to track sales movement.

The soon to be expired stock in a low sales area is shifted to high sales areas to facilitate
quick liquidation.

Else, a sales offer, bonus etc is announced to create pull from the market (stockists,
retailers). This is backed up by increased efforts by the local MR to get more Rx by
practicing doctors in that area.

Sometimes, these drugs are donated to institutions for free.

All these are done good 6-12 months before the stock is about to expire. Any stock within 6
month expiry window is returned back to the company by the stockists.

3. Once at pharmacy, the expiry status can't be tracked. But if all goes as per the usual trade
rules i.e. First in First out, expires at pharmacy counters are low. Only in cases where- the
practicing doctor in surrounding area completely stops Rxing your medicine brand ( there
are again n number of reasons for this) or the pharmacist is getting incentives to replace
your brand with some other company's do you face expiry at pharmacy counters.

These stocks are always returned to the company in return of full credit.

It is a bigger loss since the company had already paid all taxes and duties on the expired
stock which can't be claimed back from the govt.

4. Not aware of

5. Not aware of

6. If it is a reputed pharma company, there is no way expired stocks will get recycled. It will
be destroyed asap.

If it is a small company, it largely depends upon the ethics of the company management.

The expired drugs worth Rs 10 crore are stocked at various district-level

warehouses across the state. "As per the new policy guidelines, the stock will
be disposed of through a company. We will soon hand over the contract, and
the process will begin in six months. It may require at least Rs 1 crore. In
future, drugs will be destroyed as per KSPCB guidelines every year," he said.

The medicines used for common ailments are stored by many household for emergency use. Many times these
medicines expire despite being stored under prescribed conditions. It is important to dispose these medicines that are
date expired and unused in an appropriate manner. The guidelines for disposal for medicines are prescribed by World
Health Organization (WHO) and United States Food and Drugs Administration (USFDA). Some of the methods
suggested to dispose date expired and unused medicines include returning to manufacturer, landfill, and waste
immobilization: encapsulation/ inertization, flushing it down the Sewer and incineration. Despite precautions
associated with these methods, these methods are not effective. Studies have shown that these methods sometime
poses a risk not only to human beings by increasing chances of taking wrong medications, accidental poisoning,
adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions that increases health burden but also to the environment. In India, the
knowledge regarding disposal of date expired and unused medicines is lacking among common people. A conceptual
framework to dispose date expired and unused medicine is devised. Pharmacies interested in program would be
identified wherein patients visiting these pharmacies would be asked to register with pharmacy and return the
unused/date expired medicines to participating pharmacies. The unused and date expired medicines collected in
pharmacies shall be segregated into various types by participating volunteers. The segregation would include various
dosage forms and packing material. The recovered contents will be sent to a specialist company that uses specific
procedures in order to recycle the collect reusable components and safely dispose of chemical components based on
prescribed procedures. The reusable components shall be collected and property treated for reuse. This concept
would not only sensitize people but also community pharmacists and would be advantageous to protection of
environment.
References:

https://www.ft.com/content/b0121282-1679-11e5-b07f-00144feabdc0

http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=56330&sid=9

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangaluru/New-policy-to-dispose-of-expired-
drugs-soon-Khader/articleshow/52737943.cms

http://pharmexcil.org/uploadfile/ufiles/263977161_Disposal_of_Unused_Medicines_W
hat_You_Should_Know.pdf

http://www.industryweek.com/blog/reverse-logistics-pharmaceutical-industry-so-
important

http://www.industryweek.com/blog/reverse-logistics-pharmaceutical-industry-so-
important