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Representations and reported use of expired medications by patients Volume 15, issue 8, Octobre 2019

Authors
Université de Bordeaux, Département de médecine générale, 146 rue Léo Saignat, 33076 Bordeaux Cedex
* Correspondance

In France, the disposal of unused drugs (including expired medication « EM ») is mandatory according to article R4211-23 of the Public Health Code and ensured since 1993 by Cyclamed (an organization financed by pharmaceutical labs). EM represents 28 % of personal medication supply and can reach several hundreds of thousands of euros in hospital pharmacies. The uncontrolled disposal of these EM has direct consequences on the quality of our environment.

According to a qualitative study conducted from January to December of 2018, based on semi-directed interviews among patients living in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, individuals seemed to feel uninformed about EM and wonder about their toxicity and method of disposal. Greater communication from general practitioners and pharmacists would better control the sanitary and iatrogenic risk, such as encouraging an annual sorting of one's personal medication. What is the declared attitude of patients and their representations about the expired medication?

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