Medicines shortages mitigation and waste optimisation

Medicines shortages and medicines waste are two separate issues with entirely different sets of root causes and implications. However, they do have an important element in common, which is their impact on access to medicines and the continuity of care, as well as the sustainability and resilience of the supply chain. The SIGN sessions (Sharing Ideas in a Global Network) are a series of events where FIP member organisations present their recent initiatives. In this case, organisations from The Netherlands, Denmark and France will be presenting innovative projects to address these key issues.
After this roundtable the participants should understand:
1. How the Dutch initiative PharmaSwap.com contributes to reducing wastage of medicines within pharmacies that would otherwise end up passing the expiration date.
2. How PharmaDanmark’s initiative contribute to minimizing medicines waste when a medicine is not taken, is taken wrongly, in the wrong dose, or when it is stored or handled wrongly.
3. How the “Pharmaceutical Record shortage information system” (DP-Ruptures) of the French Chamber of Pharmacists works and supports pharmacists in mitigating the impact of medicines shortages.

Moderator:
Lars-Åke Söderlund, President, Community Pharmacy Section FIP President, Community Pharmacy Section
Sweden

Panellists:
1. Jelmer Faber, Community pharmacist and Co-founder of PharmaSwap.com, Royal Dutch Pharmacists’ Association - the Netherlands
2. Rikke Løvig Simonsen, Chair PharmaDanmark - Denmark
3. Frédéric Bassi, President of the Industrial Pharmacists Section French Chamber of Pharmacists - France