Logística reversa de medicamentos descartados pela população no Brasil: uma revisão de experiências nacionais e internacionais.

Abstract

Medicines, despite their usefulness for health promotion and restoration, have, in their composition, chemicals with toxicity characteristics, which can represent risks to public health and the environment, if their waste is disposed improperly. In Brazil, there is no specific federal regulation about reverse logistics of discarded medicine. The purpose of this work is to present an evaluation of reverse logistics of discarded drugs, whether unused or expired, in Brazil. This work presents a literature review, at national and international levels, about the topic in question. That was done in conjunction with the research method called "snowball", aimed at scaling the problem noticed. Some private initiatives and existing state and municipal laws in Brazil were identified. These initiatives were evaluated under the scope of Brazilian National Solid Waste Policy and consolidated policies in other countries. The assessment revealed the need for Brazil to develop specific regulation for reverse logistics of medicines discarded by the population. Therefore, this research suggests some guidelines and strategies to help creating a reverse logistics system of discarded medicines in Brazil.