Trash Talk: Turning Medication Waste into Meaningful Change

Join us for a practical and inspiring look at how a group of hospital pharmacists and pharmacy students tackled the surprisingly big problem of medication waste in a hospital system—and actually made a difference. You’ll hear about two smart, low-effort projects: one that uncovered just how much unused medication is going up in smoke (literally), and tested a creative solution to stop the waste, and another that asked over 1,000 nurses what they really think about medication waste (spoiler: they think it’s a problem too). Along the way, you’ll pick up real-world strategies, learn how to avoid potential pitfalls, and gain a healthy dose of motivation. It turns out that fighting waste isn’t just good for the budget and the planet—it’s also pretty rewarding.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this webinar, learners will be able to:

• Describe the scope and financial impact of inpatient medication waste in hospital systems.
• Examine how survey data and decentralized models, like nomadic pharmacy assistants, can inform and support system-wide quality improvement.
• Identify effective strategies and common pitfalls for reducing medication waste in hospital settings.

Presenters:

Aaron M Tejani, BSc (Pharm), PharmD
Researcher/Educator – UBC Therapeutics Initiative
Clinical assistant professor, UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Medication Use Evaluation Pharmacist, Fraser Health

Elissa Aeng, BSc (Pharm), ACPR, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Medication Use Evaluation, Fraser Health

Gigi Wong, BSc (Pharm), ACPR, MPH
Pharmacist, Quality
Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services, Fraser Health