Patients in ambulatory care get medicines at the hospital to take home. Larger amounts of medication dispensed means fewer visits to the hospital, but potentially also more medication waste.

Problem/ objective: To investigate how (much) and why medicines are handed out and to discuss solutions to reduce medicine waste, taking into account:

• Which considerations are involved when the hospital hands out medicine for 3-6-9-12 months?
• Which different/conflicting perspectives are considered and prioritized in this process?
• How can medicine waste be reduced using the ‘Medicine box’, compared to personally showing up in the clinic?

Through interviews with nurses and pharmacy technicians investigate how handing out of medicines is carried out today and why, and on this basis to identify relevant and feasible solutions to reduce medicine waste from ambulatory care in hospitals.