Wasted drugs cost Italy 650M euro a year

Unused medicines are being thrown away in Italy at an annual cost to thehealth service of 650 million euros ($701.5 million), according to a survey by Italian polling agency Aging Society. The study says that an estimated 1 billion tablets are wasted each year, primarily because families buy a bigger quantity than needed. Other reasons given were that drugs are being stored until past their expiry date and that often patients never bother to take their medicines. The report also says that as many as 1.5 million Italians fail to comply with prescribed doses each year.

"Our report shows that the attitude of Italians towards the use and misuse of medicines is basically casual," said Aging Society spokesman Andrea Monorchio.

After questioning 300 families, the study revealed that 92% of respondents stored pharmaceuticals at home, of which some 9% admitted having over 20 different types. While 61.4% said they checked expiry dates occasionally, 29% said they did so twice a year and 9.6% just once a year. 96% of respondents said they disposed of at least 10 packs of medicines each year, while 64.3% admitted to not storing pharmaceuticals in the correct container.