Many pharmaceutical manufacturers offer credits for returned pharmaceuticals. These
credits make the reverse distribution system work. Reverse distributors manage the
returns process for pharmacies. This is a valued convenience, as sorting products and
managing the various return credits is expensive for individual pharmacies. Reverse
distributors package products, send them to manufacturers, and provide manufacturer
credits to pharmacies. Products that cannot be returned to the manufacturer are sorted
out for disposal. While manufacturers may process returned drugs for reuse, common
understanding is that most—if not all—drugs returned to manufacturers are sent off-site
for disposal