AQW 11522/22-27

Mr Danny Donnelly
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 08/05/2024
Answered On Date: 22/05/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQW 10174/22-27, whether any drugs returned to community pharmacies are able to be reused.

Answer:

I would like to advise the member that his question is related to professional standards for pharmacy practice. Medicines returned to pharmacies that have previously been supplied to patients cannot be reused due to patient safety considerations – the public are entitled to expect that medicines supplied from a pharmacy are obtained from a reputable source and are fit for purpose. The quality and efficacy of a medicine is difficult to assess when returned to the pharmacy and so patient safety cannot be assured - there is no guarantee that the medicine has not been inappropriately stored and degraded, with resulting loss of potency.