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 online marketplace allowing hospital pharmacies with drugs nearing their expiry dates (which would otherwise be thrown away) to list them for sale. Once a medicine is listed on VEND, pharmacists needing those drugs for their own patients can 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.