CPF FUNDED GRANT DETAILS

A lesson learned from the first Dispose My Meds DMM program is the need for more extensive data collection relative to specific medicines returned, identified by name, brand or generic, quality of each medicine returned, reason for each medicine returned and source of each medicine returned. Most efforts at data collection have focused in pounds collected or number of prescriptions, with a few programs also collecting reasons why the medicine was returned. However, there has not been a concerted effort related to identifying the patients specific source of the medicine returned. As NCPA continues expanding its highly successful DMM program, now involving nearly 1,400 pharmacies in 47 states, NCPA proposes to launch a uniform data collection survey instrument that will be utilized by the DMM program, as well as by other community pharmacy based return programs. Throughout the process, NCPA will be the advocate and promoter of a uniform data collection process, NCPA will aggregate the collected information, work with a respected pharmacy school to analyze the data and issue both a public report and produce a research article for publication in a professional journal. An objective of the data collection process will be to determine and quantify the extent of waste that may come from mail-order provided medicines compared to those medicines provided by community pharmacies and from other healthcare providers. NCPA will seek the endorsement of state pharmacy associations for adoption and promotion of the uniform patient data collection process, as well as interact with other community-based organizations that conduct return programs. Additionally, NCPA will seek the commitment of vendors providing take back services to incorporate the uniform patient data collection survey in their programs. The proposed data survey is attached.