Millions of pounds worth of drugs are thrown away by hospital pharmacies every year because they have passed their expiry date.
Now Rx-info, the experts in developing software to allow hospital pharmacists to analyse the use of medicines, have developed a simple online solution to help cut this waste.
Rx-info’s software is already in use by more than 200 trusts in the UK, and the company has used its experience to produce VEND – to achieve Value from Expiring NHS Drugs. Rx-info’s own analysis of data from 216 client trusts in the UK has revealed that drugs worth at least £7 million are disposed of each year because they have not been prescribed before their expiry date. Overall, we believe that the real cost to the NHS is closer to £30m to £35m – and that’s before the costs of disposal are taken into account.
VEND is a simple-to-use web-based online marketplace: hospital pharmacies with drugs nearing their expiry dates which would otherwise be thrown away list them on VEND. Then pharmacists needing those drugs for their own patients get in touch with the vendor, and, pharmacy-to-pharmacy, agree a fee and carriage method. Purchasers can either log on to VEND when they need to buy in drugs, or can ask to be alerted when specific drugs are listed.
It’s a win-win-win situation
- The vendor recoups some of the costs of drugs that would otherwise be wasted, and avoids disposal costs.
- The buyer gets in-date drugs they need at a reduced cost.
- The NHS drugs bill overall falls, so helping it meet efficiency targets.
- The transactions are carried out outside VEND, on a trust-to-trust basis for individual patients, and are compliant with MHRA guidance and UK and EU legislation.
For more information, please contact [email protected] or call 01392 460263.
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Because the transactions are carried out on a trust-to-trust basis, for the treatment of individual patients, on a not-for-profit basis, they are compliant with Directive 2001/83/EC so no Wholesale Dealer’s Licence is required. Medicines may not be listed for more than the price paid. Rx-info will not negotiate on behalf of a buyer or seller. Rx-info receives no fee or percentage from individual transactions: users are required to pay a small annual subscription in order to use the software.