Home / Health / Hospital Fridge Fails: £25k Meds Lost
Hospital Fridge Fails: £25k Meds Lost
13 Mar
Summary
- Medication worth £25,000 was discarded due to an open fridge.
- The pharmacy fridge lacked an alarm to alert staff when left ajar.
- The trust is developing plans to increase medicines recycling to reduce waste.
A significant financial loss occurred at a Shropshire hospital when medication worth £25,000 was rendered unusable. This occurred because a pharmacy fridge door was inadvertently left open. Investigations revealed that the fridge department did not have an essential alarm system to notify staff if the door was ajar.
The incident was reported to the SaTH audit and risk assurance committee, which discussed the financial implications of such wastage. Board papers indicated ongoing concerns regarding the costs of pharmacy items and write-offs. The trust is actively working on mitigations.
To combat future waste, SaTH is developing a business case to increase the capacity for medicines recycling. This initiative aims to save the trust substantial amounts of money. A spokesperson emphasized the trust's commitment to reducing waste and ensuring value for money, noting that overall pharmacy waste costs remain near their target.
