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Table 1 Quality checklist criteria for Patients’ Own Drugs (PODs)

From: Reuse of patients’ own drugs in hospitals in Ghana; the evidence to support policy

Label

 • It must present, legible and clean

 • It must state the name, the strength and actual quantity of drug

 • Instructions should be clear and understandable

 • Medicines should have been dispensed within the time frame its remain efficacious.

Container

 • The container should be original, intact and clean

 • There should only be one product within the container

Expiry

 • The expiry date should be found and should not be exceeded.

Product Integrity

 • The medicine should be easily identified.(especially if clear liquid or loose white tablets)

 • The product should be whole, clean with no visible deterioration (eg, no broken tablet)

Storage

 • The medicine must be stored according to manufacturer’s recommendations

  1. Adapted from: Quality checklist for assessment of PODs by Fradgley and Pryce (2002) and PODs assessment criteria by NHS, UK