Changes in the Impact of High-priced Medications on Medication Wastage In a University Hospital

Medication wastage is a global issue. This study aimed to clarify changes in the impact of high-priced medications on medication wastage in our university hospital. We investigated the total number and total cost of medication wastage, and the involvement of high-priced medications in each fiscal year (FY) from FY 2013 to FY 2020. During the eight years, total medication wastage did not increase, but total cost increased steadily from 3,959,779 JPY (36,079 USD) in FY 2013 to 12,157,129 JPY (110,767 USD) in FY 2020. Medication wastage of 50,000 JPY (456 USD) or more and 100,000 JPY (911 USD) or more per case were 11 cases and two cases in FY 2013, respectively; however, this increased to 42 cases and 23 cases in FY 2020, respectively. Furthermore, the costs of medication wastage of 50,000 JPY or more and 100,000 JPY or more per case were 1,018,111 JPY (9,276 USD) and 471,731 JPY (4,298 USD) in FY 2013, respectively, but increased significantly to 8,812,954 JPY (80,297 USD) and 7,510,415 JPY (68,430 USD) in FY 2020, respectively. The most common medication type among medication wastage of high-priced medications was antineoplastic agents such as protein kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. These findings indicate that high-priced medications have the largest impact on the cost of medication wastage and suggest the need for efforts on medication management focusing on antineoplastic agents.