Abstract/Summary

Medicine waste is a global issue, with economic, environmental, and social consequences that are only predicted to worsen. To address a lack of technological advancements to enable medicine reuse a Smart Packaging and Returns Assessment System (SPaRAS) was proposed to validate the storage conditions and streamline the assessment of returned medicines. The Smart Packaging System (SPS) will record the storage conditions of medication while in patient care. The companion Returns Assessment System (RAS) will efficiently communicate with the SPS through RFID, configure the sensors within the SPS to the needs of its assigned medicine and assess the returns against tailored eligibility criteria. The increased safety and efficiency provided by SPaRAS addresses the concerns of large pharmaceutical companies and the public, offering a method to reuse previously owned medication and reduce the effects of unnecessary medicine waste.