In this article, Sue Frankland looks at the global problem of wastage of medications, including causes such as overprescribing and non-adherence. She also presents information from her master’s dissertation on how people understand, and respond to, medication expiration dates
Pharmacy OTC sales could play role in reacting to outbreaks
Sunday 1 October 2017, 06:17 PM
During the campylobacter outbreak in Havelock North in August last year, pharmacists rapidly sold out of rehydration products. Had there been a system in place to monitor this, Hawke's Bay District Council might have been able to respond to the outbreak quicker. Pharmacy OTC sales are one of a number of indicators the Ministry of Health is looking at monitoring to be able to better respond to outbreaks. Nerine Zoio reports
Data from OTC pharmacy sales, social media and sick leave could be used to react to the outbreak of infectious diseases sooner.
Health minister Jon, Jonathan Coleman