Associations between personality traits and adequate home storage of drugs in older patients.

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between personality traits of older patients and adequate home storage of drugs. Forty-four participating Dutch community pharmacists randomly selected each up to four community-dwelling elderly patients (≥65 years) who were using at least one prescription drug. The Big Five Inventory was used to assess the personality traits - 'openness', 'conscientiousness', 'extraversion', 'agreeableness' and 'neuroticism' - of patients.

Older Patients' Compliance with Drug Storage Recommendations.

Background: Whereas storage conditions are regulated and closely monitored in every stage of the drug supply chain before drug dispensing, it is unknown if patients store drugs at home according to storage recommendations.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate how older patients store their prescription drugs at home and to what extent they comply with drug storage recommendations.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between October 2015 and March 2016.

The Impact of Inadequate Temperature Storage Conditions on Aggregate and Particle Formation in Drugs Containing Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Inhibitors.

Purpose: To measure aggregate and particle formation in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors etanercept, adalimumab and certolizumab pegol product samples after exposure to freezing temperature conditions similar to storage conditions previously observed in patients' homes.

Methods: TNF-α inhibitors in their original primary and secondary packaging were exposed to 32 freeze-thaw cycles (-10°C for 120min/5°C for 60 min) or continuous low storage temperature (-20°C for 96 h) before thawing at 2-8°C. Non-stressed products were used as controls.

Actual versus recommended storage temperatures of oral anticancer medicines at patients' homes.

Background: Substantial quantities of unused medicines are returned by patients to the pharmacy each year. Redispensing these medicines would reduce medicinal waste and health care costs. However, it is not known if medicines are stored by patients as recommended in the product label.

The majority of patients do not store their biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs within the recommended temperature range.

Objective: To monitor whether biologic DMARD (bDMARD) home storage temperatures comply with the manufacturers' Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) recommendations.

Methods: This observational study included consenting adult patients from eight Dutch pharmacies who received their bDMARDs with a validated temperature logger. Patients were instructed to store their packages according to standard label instructions and to return the temperature logger(s) after use.