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The figure is impressive, but constantly decreasing. This would indicate a better use of drugs on the territory, and an eco-citizen awareness on the rise, according to the Cyclamed association.
Sorting out medications and returning unused or expired packs to pharmacies has become, for many, a common sense reflex. According to Cyclamed, an association responsible for collecting unused medicines, 9,833 tonnes of unused medicines – expired or not – were recovered from the 21,141 dispensary pharmacies in France in 2021. In concrete terms, this corresponds to approximately 2 5 boxes brought back per inhabitant, according to a study published by the association in October.
Environmental protection as a primary motivation
For Thierry Moreau-Defarges, president of Cyclamed, this positive evolution in the behavior of the French is based on good communication which bears fruit:
“This is a figure that has been falling for almost six years. It is explained in particular because the campaigns on the good use of the drug developed by the administrations or the industrialists bear fruit.
A communication that indeed impacts our habits, if we are to believe the study, since 9 out of 10 French people declare to date to bring back their unused medicines in pharmacies.
The study also returns to the motivations that drive us to recycle our drugs. Thus, the French people questioned mainly put forward the preservation of the environment (at 81%) even before health security (at 65%), even if this aspect remains in everyone’s mind:“Everyone wants to avoid seeing a child or an elderly person accidentally ingesting the wrong medicine”explains Thierry Moreau-Défarges.
Other information provided by this report: drug sales continue to decline (-1% per year, for 17 years) while the population “grows and ages” establishes Cyclamed. Proof that behaviors in favor of the proper use of drugs are changing and adapting, on the professional and health sides as well as users.
While 9 out of 10 French people have brought medicines back to their pharmacy, 64% of those questioned sort their medicines by separating empty packaging, cardboard boxes and paper leaflets. A more marked habit among those under 35 (76%) and in rural areas (69%).
Here are some reminders to regularly sort your medicine cabinet:
- The Cyclamed device concerns only Unused Medicines (UNM), for human use, expired or not, started or not;
- This includes tablets, ointments, creams and gels, syrups, ampoules, aerosols, sprays and inhalers. On the other hand, Cyclamed does not include cosmetic products, food supplements or veterinary products;
- In the dynamics of selective sorting and recycling, cardboard packaging and paper leaflets for medicines must first be placed in the bin dedicated to this purpose, before returning Unused Medicines (UNM) to pharmacies, in their secondary packaging ( the plate for example, or the bottle of syrup;)
- Then go to any pharmacy: all community pharmacies are required to collect your Unused Medicines (UNM) for human use, whether expired or not.
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