franceinfo had exclusive access to the study of Cyclamed, the association responsible for collecting unused medicines.
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We don’t always finish boxes of tablets, ointments or cough syrups. In 2021, 9,833 tonnes of unused medicines – expired or not – were recovered from the 21,141 dispensary pharmacies in France (mainland and overseas). A stable figure which corresponds to 2.5 boxes per inhabitant, indicates Cyclamed in a study, which franceinfo obtained on Wednesday October 5. The association manages the national system for sorting and recovering unused medicines.
Also according to this study, nine out of ten French people say they bring their unused medicines back to the pharmacy. They mainly emphasize the preservation of the environment. This is the major motivation of 81% of those questioned, followed by health security (65%). According to Cyclamed, the French have accentuated the “eco-citizen gestures” : sorting at home and the return of unused medicines are increasingly refined, “thanks in particular to the increased involvement of pharmacies, who consider the Cyclamed device to be essential.”
Currently, 64% of respondents sort their medicines “by separating empty packaging, cardboard cases and paper leaflets for material recycling in selective sorting, before bringing their unused medicines back to the pharmacy”. This habit is more pronounced among those under 35 (76%) and in rural areas (69%).
“For nearly 17 years, sales of drugs for human use have been steadily declining (approximately -1% per year), as the population grows and ages”, notes Cyclamed. Healthcare professionals and patients have acquired new behaviors in favor of the proper use of the drug.