RUM Extended Until 2018

The Return Unwanted Medicines (RUM) Project has received ongoing funding for another three year period, which will see it continue through to 30 Jun 2018.  Under the new agreement government funding will be provided for the cost of ongoing collection and disposal of returned medicines, along with analysis of the items and research into why consumers are returning them.

RUM chair Warwick Plunkett acknowledged the project's support from community pharmacists, wholesalers and
pharmacy organisations, and urged pharmacists to be efficient in their collection process to make the most of the funding.  “We ask pharmacies to limit the packaging materials placed in RUM containers wherever possible,” he
said, with the cost associated with transport and incineration of the returned medicines directly related to the weights collected.

He said that since 1998 the highly successful program had seen 7,000 tonnes of returned medicines safely destroyed, that would otherwise pose a risk to the environment

More information can be found on the RUM web site.

Source: pharmacydaily.com.au, Monday 6 July 2015