Abstract:
Background: The issue of veterinary pharmaceutical expiration is a significant
concern in animal health facilities globally. The existence of veterinary
pharmaceutical expiration can be mainly associated with inadequate inventory
control, store management, and a lack of effective pharmaceutical regulatory
policies and guidelines. Hence, the study aimed to evaluate expired veterinary
pharmaceuticals’ scope, economic impact, and contributing factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional, explanatory sequential study design involving a
mixed quantitative and qualitative approach was employed among 13 animal
health facilities from March 2022 to December 2023 in and around Dessie town,
South Wollo, Ethiopia. A key informant interview guide was used to retrieve the
qualitative data that were analyzed through thematic content analysis. Then,
the collected data were coded and analyzed using SPSS version 25. A mean
score was used to determine the critical factors associated with veterinary
pharmaceutical expiration.
Results: The study found that the magnitude of expired veterinary
pharmaceuticals in the fourth fiscal year was 7%. This wastage rate of veterinary
pharmaceuticals led to a loss of approximately 69,564.54 USD. From expired
veterinary pharmaceutical unit pack perspectives, approximately 403-unit packs
(66%) expired in veterinary clinics, resulting in a loss of approximately 38,229.33
USD, and 209-unit packs (34%) expired in private veterinary pharmacies,
incurring a loss of approximately 31,335.22 USD. From Anatomical Therapeutic
Classification (ATC), antibiotics accounted for 14.8% of the total financial loss.
Additionally, approximately 53% of liquid dosage for
