ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURES ON MEDICINES DISCARDED BY A PUBLIC HOSPITAL IN TERESINA, PI, BRAZIL

Abstract

The Hospital Pharmacy is the unit responsible for the management of medicines. It must act economically on invested capital, avoiding the stock and waste of medicines, such as expiration losses. The study aimed to survey drug losses and the associated costs to identify waste and/or losses that could be avoided in a public hospital in Teresina (PI). A retrospective observational study of medicines discarded from June 2017 to August 2018 was carried out. During this period, 9,800 units of medicines were discarded, totaling a cost of R$50,108.56. The largest group of discarded drugs, according to the ATC (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System), belonged to the group of drugs with action on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. From March to May 2018, the largest number of unused drugs was seen, 3716 units and the highest value for discarded drugs was R$ 18,727.05. Of the total number of expired drugs, 5518 (56.31%) units came from the Pharmacy’s Drug Supply (CAF) and 2258 (23.04%) from the Dispensary. The total expense with the disposal of medicines was R$1,940.23. The sum of the acquisition expenses and the disposal cost was R$52,048.79. The waste of medications in the hospital unit denotes the importance of implementing methodologies for resource management to minimize costs and improve the quality of the health  service. The results of this study can help to program an adequate drug management system and improve the entire supply chain.