70.956 Return of Unused Medications in Long Term Care Facilities:
MSSNY adopted as policy the existing AMA Policy H-280.959, “Recycling of Nursing Home Drugs.” Recycling of Nursing Home Drugs Our AMA supports the return and reuse of medications to the dispensing pharmacy to reduce waste associated with unused medications in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and to offer substantial savings to the health care system, provided the following conditions are satisfied: (1) The returned medications are not controlled substances. (2) The medications are dispensed in tamper-evident packaging and returned with packaging intact (e.g., unit dose, unused injectable vials and ampules). (3) In the professional judgment of the pharmacist, the medications meet all federal and state standards for product integrity. (4) Policies and procedures are followed for the appropriate storage and handling of medications at the LTCF and for the transfer, receipt, and security of medications returned to the dispensing pharmacy. (5) A system is in place to track re-stocking and reuse to allow medications to be recalled if required. (6) A mechanism (reasonable for both the payer and the dispensing LTC pharmacy) is in place for billing only the number of doses used or crediting the number of doses returned, regardless of payer source.
Also, MSSNY is to communicate this policy to appropriate Federal and State governmental agencies to urge its immediate adoption. (HOD 2010-250; Reaffirmed HOD 2020)
