Anne Marie Weggelaar

PhD project on circular medicine use in long-term care. This position is part of the REMARK project, a consortium effort focused on making healthcare more sustainable by reducing medication waste and exploring how unused medicines can be safely and legally re-used. The PhD research is based at Tilburg University, within Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Tranzo research centre, and is embedded in the academic workplace for future-proof healthcare. The project examines the pharmaceutical chain in long-term care settings, including nursing homes and long-term psychiatric care. The doctoral candidate will study how medicines move from producer to pharmacy to patient, and where regulations, quality requirements, and financial arrangements shape whether circular practices are possible. The research combines legal, quality, and financial perspectives to identify the conditions under which medication reuse could be implemented responsibly. The PhD consists of interconnected studies on the regulatory framework for medicine circulation at Dutch and European level, the safety and quality conditions for re-dispensing unused medicines, and the reimbursement and incentive structures that may either encourage or prevent waste. The project also includes translating these insights into practical solutions with healthcare institutions, pharmacies, and other chain partners, and testing those solutions in practice. The student will work in a multidisciplinary consortium with researchers from Tilburg University, Eindhoven University of Technology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and many practice partners. The role involves close collaboration with other REMARK PhD candidates, university researchers, and stakeholders in the healthcare chain, alongside dissemination through academic publications, conferences, and knowledge exchange with practice and policy audiences. The position is located in Tilburg, with regular on-site work at partner organizations across the Netherlands.