Return Your Medicines Program

Introduction

Every year, tens of millions of ringgit worth of medicines dispensed by government health facilities remain unused by patients.

  • Meanwhile, an unnecessary health risk is created in the home whereby the patient or family members may accidentally consume expired medicines or wrong drug (due to unclear or damaged labels).
  • Failure to discard medications properly may also contaminate the environment through poor disposal either via trash or sewer system.

In 2010, the Pharmaceutical Services Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) has implemented the Return Your Medicines Program.

  • Through this program, patients can return their unused or excess medicines kept at home to pharmacy counter or medicine return box provided at all pharmacy facility in MOH hospitals and health clinics for safe disposal.



Causes of Excess Medicines

Factors that contribute to excessive medicines in patient's storage are

  • Change or cessation of treatment regimen
  • Patient non-compliance to their medications
    • Did not take as instructed by the doctor
    • Patient is not convinced that taking medicines can cure the illness
    • Stop taking medicines when the patient is feeling better
    • Forget to take the medicines
  • Patient has passed away
  • Repeat filling of prescriptions without assessing the amount at hand
  • Medicines obtained from various sources (Polypharmacy)



Advice to Patients

The low charges (RM 1 to see a medical officer or RM 5 to see a specialist at government health facility, with the fees covering the drugs prescribed to them) should not be an excuse for patients to act irresponsibly with the medications dispensed.
  • All these medications dispensed to you are not actually free, but government is paying the bill.
  • To estimate the price of medications dispensed to you, you may refer to this website or survey at local community pharmacy.

The date for the next supply on prescription is only a reference, assuming nil medications stock at hands and full compliance.
  • You may come up to a week earlier (depending on local facility decision) to collect the medication supply if the scheduled date is not convenient for you.
  • If you still have ALL medications at home, you should continue taking your existing medications and come to pharmacy only when medications are about to finish.
  • If you still have lots of certain medications on a prescription, please inform pharmacist on duty that you do not need those medication(s).
Please do not return the medications stock at home, meanwhile request to get a new refill of the same medication.
  • The returned medication will not be re-dispensed to other patients, but can only be safely disposed.



Summary

To the public, please help to reduce public fund wastage..

  • Stop storing up unused medicines at home just because you worried that you might need the medication later.



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