“”While sales of medication in pharmacies have been about 1% per year for 20 years and the population is growing and aging, the use of drugs by patients is increasingly reasoned“, notes the association in its annual assessment.
The collection rate, which corresponds to the number of unused drugs returned compared to all of those stored in household cabinets, continued to progress to reach a record of 77% in 2024, compared to 71% in 2023.
“”Environmental protection has become the predominant motivation for 60% of our fellow citizens, in order to avoid pollution of soil and waters“Faced with home health security, underlines Cyclamed, which is based on a study by the BVA Institute between February 28 and March 14, 2025 with 2,361 people.
According to this survey, 82% of French people say they report their not consumed drugs at least once a year and are seven out of ten to sort the packaging at home first before returning the drugs to the pharmacy.
Pharmacies have cardboard receptacles to recover the reproduced drugs. As part of their daily medication delivery tour, the distributors who collect them in their van.
These receptacles are put either in padlocked containers or in compactors. When they are full, they are transported to the energy valuation units, where they are cremated to allow to light and heat thousands of homes each year, the body says.
There is no more humanitarian redistribution of drugs not used since the end of 2008.