30DEC

Libyan International Conference for Health Sciences

The First Libyan International Conference for Health Sciences (2024): Open University, Tripoli, Libya
Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
https://app.periodikos.com.br/journal/medjpps/article/doi/10.5281/zenodo.7479818

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Original article

Public perception and behavior on the disposal of unused and expired drugs

Mustafa A. Alssageer, Khadija A. Arefa, Enas A. Ibrahim

Downloads: 0
Views: 38

Abstract

Evidence demonstrates that inappropriate drug disposal creates a significant risk to global environmental safety. Study participants' knowledge, attitude and practice regarding the disposal of unwanted and expired medications were assessed. The study was carried out at Sebha city, in southwestern Libya, from October 2021 to April 2022. A self-administered questionnaire designed explicitly to be completed by a respondent without an interviewer's assistance was used. Out of 650, only 500 completed questionnaires were returned. The majority of the respondents admitted they have at least one medication stored at home (71.6%). Keeping expired drugs was reported by 28.2% of the respondents compared with unused medications in their house (51.2%). Almost half of the respondents (47.4%) declared that their medication was taken from private pharmacies. “I’ll need it in the future” (48.8%), "Medicines change" (37.2%) and "Symptoms improve and recover" (32.6%) were the top three explanations given by participants. The majority of drugs reported were antibiotics (41.0%). This is followed by antipyretic and analgesic drugs, which were used by 29.8% and 27.8% of respondents, respectively. 52.2% of the respondents agreed that disposing of medicines in the garbage is the most appropriate method. Concordantly, the majority of them indicated they discarded unused or expired medicines whether they were solid (82.6%), liquid (58.4%), or semisolid (79.6%). The majority of participants indicated they were aware of the negative impact of drug waste on the environment (80.6%). More than three-quarters of the participants said they had never been given instructions on how to properly dispose of medications and 60.8% thought a medical team would be the best source of knowledge. Despite acknowledging being aware of the harmful effects on the environment, the majority of participants admitted to keeping unneeded pharmaceuticals in their homes and throwing them out in the trash. The government should support the pharmacists' role in educating the public about how to properly dispose of their medications and establish the Return Unwanted Medicines Project in order to raise awareness and create cost-effective medication waste management programs.

Keywords

Disposing of expired drugs, Libya, public perception behavior, unused medications

References

  1. Brown M, Sinsky CA (2013) Medication adherence: we didn’t ask and they didn’t tell. Family Practice Management. 20 (2): 25-30. PMID: 23547611.
  2. Hazell B, Robson R (2015) Pharmaceutical waste reduction in the NHS. Report Version 1 (7): 03320. doi: Nil.
  3. Daughton CG (2016) Pharmaceuticals and the Environment (PiE): Evolution and impact of the published literature revealed by bibliometric analysis. Science of the Total Environment. 562: 391-426. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv .2016.03.109
  4. Iweh M, Ogbonna B, Nduka S, Anetoh M, Mathew O (2019) Assessment of disposal practices of expired and unused medications among community pharmacies in Anambra State southeast Nigeria: A mixed study design. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice. 12. doi: 10.1186/s40545-019-0174-1
  5. Kuspis DA, Krenzelok EP (1996) What happens to expired medications? A survey of community medication disposal. Veterinary and Human Toxicology. 38 (1): 48-49. PMID: 8825752.
  6. Kolpin DW, Furlong ET, Meyer MT, Thurman EM, Zaugg SD, Barber LB, Buxton HT (2002) Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in u.s. streams, 1999-2000:  a national reconnaissance. Environmental Science and Technology. 36 (6): 1202-1211. doi: 10.1021/es011055j
  7. Kassahun H, Tesfaye D (2020) Disposal practices of unused medications among patients in public health centers of Dessie Town, Northeast Ethiopia: a cross sectional survey. Integrated Pharmacy Research and Practice. 9: 65-70. doi: 10.2147/IPRP.S243069
  8. Azmi HM, Shakeel S (2020) Unused and expired medications disposal practices among the general public in  Selangor, Malaysia. Pharm (Basel, Switzerland). 8 (4): 196. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy8040196
  9. Ayele Y, Mamu M (2018) Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice towards disposal of unused and expired pharmaceuticals among community in Harar city, Eastern Ethiopia. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice. 11: 27. doi: 10.1186/s40545-018-0155-9
  10. Shivaraju P, Gangadhar M (2017) Knowledge and awareness of disposal of unused and expired medications among medical undergraduates of A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital at B G Nagar: A cross-sectional observational study. National Journal of Physiology Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 7: 1. doi: 10.5455/njppp.2018.8.0727006072017
  11. Abahussain EA, Ball DE, Matowe WC (2006) Practice and opinion towards disposal of unused medication in Kuwait. Medical Principals and Practice. 15 (5): 352-357. doi: 10.1159/000094268
  12. Gidey MT, Birhanu AH, Tsadik AG, Welie AG, Assefa BT (2020) Knowledge, attitude, and practice of unused and expired medication disposal among  patients visiting Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. BioMed Research International. 2020: 9538127. doi: 10.1155/2020/9538127
  13. Turocy PS (2002) Survey research in athletic training: the scientific method of development and  implementation. Journal of Athletic Training. 37 (4 Suppl): S174-S179. PMID: 12937541.
  14. Atinafu T, Takele A, Kassie A, Yehualaw A, Tesfaw G, Desseno T, Mekonnen T, Fentie M (2014) Unused medications disposal practice: the case of patients visiting university of Gondar Specialized Teaching Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia. International Journal of Pharm Science and Research. 5 (12). 999-1005. doi: Nil.
  15. Sonowal S, Desai C, Kapadia JD, Desai MK (2016) A survey of knowledge, attitude, and practice of consumers at a Tertiary Care Hospital Regarding the Disposal of Unused Medicines. Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacy. 8 (1): 4-7. doi: 10.4103/0976-0105.195079
  16. Vellinga A, Cormican S, Driscoll J, Furey M, O’Sullivan M, Cormican M (2014) Public practice regarding disposal of unused medicines in Ireland. Science of the Total Environment. 478: 98-102. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014. 01.085
  17. Braund R, Peake BM, Shieffelbien L (2009) Disposal practices for unused medications in New Zealand. Environment International. 35 (6): 952-955. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2009.04.003
  18. Gupta R, Gupta B, Gupta A (2019) A study on awareness regarding disposal of unused medicines among consumers at a tertiary care teaching hospital of north India. International Journal of Advances in Medicine. 6 (1): 91. doi: 10.18203/2349-3933.ijam20190111
  19. Amoabeng IA, Otoo BA, Darko G, Borquaye LS (2022) Disposal of unused and expired medicines within the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana: a cross-sectional survey. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. 2022: 6113346. doi: 10.1155/2022/6113346
  20. Budnitz DS, Salis S (2011) Preventing medication overdoses in young children: an opportunity for harm  elimination. Pediatrics. 127 (6): e1597-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-0926
  21. Angi’enda S, Bukachi S (2016) Household knowledge and perceptions on disposal practices of unused medicines in Kenya. Journal of Anthropology Archaeology. 4 (2): 1-20. doi: 10.15640/jaa.v4n2a1
  22. Franklin RL, Rodgers GB (2008) Unintentional child poisonings treated in United States hospital emergency departments: national estimates of incident cases, population-based poisoning rates, and product involvement. Pediatrics. 122 (6): 1244-1251. doi: 10.1542/peds.2007-3551
  23. Alssageer M, Hassan AO, Rajab MO (2021) Consumers’ view, expectation and satisfaction with community pharmacy services. Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 1 (4): 90-98. doi: 10.528/ zenodo.5806191
  24. Abdullah SAM, Ibrahim T, Alharbi H (2018) Drug consumers behaviors toward the disposal of unused and expired medicines in Qassim Province/Saudi Arabia. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences. 8 (1): 8-13. Corpus ID: 55432382.
  25. Thio SL, Nam J, van Driel ML, Dirven T, Blom JW (2018) Effects of discontinuation of chronic medication in primary care: a systematic review of deprescribing trials. The British Journal of General Practice. 68 (675): e663-e672. doi: 10.3399/bjgp18X699041
  26. Gray JA, Hagemeier NE (2012) Prescription drug abuse and DEA-sanctioned drug take-back events: characteristics  and outcomes in rural Appalachia. Archives of Internal Medicine. 172 (15): 1186-1187. doi: 10.1001/ archinternmed.2012.2374
  27. Alssageer MA (2021) Descriptive analysis to use the community pharmacy by patients and customers. Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 1 (4): 59-66. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.5806134.
  28. Yousif MA (2002) In-home drug storage and utilization habits: a Sudanese study. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal. 8 (2-3): 422-431. PMID: 15339133.
  29. Bettington E, Spinks J, Kelly F, Gallardo-Godoy A, Nghiem S, Wheeler AJ (2018) When is a medicine unwanted, how is it disposed, and how might safe disposal be promoted? Insights from the Australian population. Australian Health Review. 42 (6): 709-717. doi: 10.1071/AH16296
  30. Tong AYC, Peake BM, Braund R (2011) Disposal practices for unused medications around the world. Environmental International. 37 (1): 292-298. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2010.10.002
  31. Wieczorkiewicz SM, Kassamali Z, Danziger LH (2013) Behind closed doors: medication storage and disposal in the home. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy. 47 (4): 482-489. doi: 10.1345/aph.1R706
  32. Fletcher J, Hogg W, Farrell B, Woodend K, Dahrouge S, Lemelin J, Dalziel W (2012) Effect of nurse practitioner and pharmacist counseling on inappropriate medication  use in family practice. Canandian Family Physician. 58 (8): 862-868. PMC: 3418988.
  33. Seehusen DA, Edwards J (2006) Patient practices and beliefs concerning disposal of medications. Journal of the American Board Family Medicine. 19 (6): 542-547. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.19.6.542
  34. Raja S, Mohapatra S, Kalaiselvi A (2018) Awareness and disposal practices of unused and expired medication among health care professionals and Students in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital. Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal. 11 (4): 2073-2078. doi: 10.13005/bpj/1585
  35. Okumura J, Wakai S, Umenai T (2002) Drug utilisation and self-medication in rural communities in Vietnam. Social Science and Med. 54 (12): 1875-1886. doi: 10.1016/s0277-9536(01)00155-1
  36. Ocan M, Bbosa GS, Waako P, Ogwal-Okeng J, Obua C (2014) Factors predicting home storage of medicines in Northern Uganda. BMC Public Health. 14: 650. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-650
  37. Athern KM, Linnebur SA, Fabisiak G (2016) Proper disposal of unused household medications: the role of the pharmacist. The Consultant Pharmacist. 31 (5): 261-266. doi: 10.4140/TCP.n.2016.261
  38. Abrons J, Vadala T, Miller S, Cerulli J (2010) Encouraging safe medication disposal through student pharmacist intervention. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association (2003). 50 (2): 169-173. doi: 10.1331/JAPhA. 2010.09208
  39. Wheeler JA, Spinks J, Bettington E, Kelly F (2017) Evaluation of the National Return of unwanted medicines (RUM) program in Australia: a study protocol. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice. 2017; 10: 38. doi: 10.1186/ s40545-017-0126-6
  40. Cameron S (1996) Study by Alberta pharmacists indicates drug wastage a “mammoth” problem. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 155 (11): 1596-1598. PMCID: PMC: 1334999.

Submitted date:
12/10/2022

Reviewed date:
12/18/2022

Accepted date:
12/22/2022

Publication date:
11/08/2024

672dafcba953956b7673ad94 medjpps Articles
Links & Downloads

Mediterr J Pharm Pharm Sci

Share this page
Page Sections