International Journal of Applied Marketing and Management

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Awareness and Practices of Disposal of Unwanted Medicines among Patients Visiting the OPD and Healthcare Professionals


Affiliations
1 National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali, Punjab, India
2 Assistant Professor, Amity School of Business, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
3 Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, Delhi, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Pharmaceuticals play a very substantial part in the treatment of various diseases and related problems. After the treatment, it is necessary to dispose the remnant medicines properly. The disposal of unused and expired medicines in a proper way is important, to evade buildup. Therefore, awareness and knowledge of drug disposal is essential. The pharmaceutical waste in water affects the health of humans. This study aims to evaluate the awareness of disposal among medical healthcare professionals and patients visiting hospitals. The contamination of pharmaceutical waste in the environment is due to the absence of awareness and knowledge among people. Proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste can prevent environmental contamination. In this study, about 100 participants from various categories were considered. The survey included different sections, such as demographics and questions pertaining to awareness. The survey was completed by 500 volunteers, of which 45% were male and 55% female. According to the study, 21% of the participants dispose expired/unused medicines by flushing them down the toilet/sink. Maximum awareness, of approximately 96%, was found among the nurses, about the importance of improper disposal. If the wastage of medication is controlled by the healthcare professionals, the ecological trail of medicines can be greatly reduced. There is a strong requirement for increasing awareness about safe disposal of medications among professionals in the healthcare system. This paper will be a vital tool to initiate effective medical waste management programmes in India.

Keywords

Unused Medicines, Waste, Expired Medicines, Drug Disposal
User
Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications
Font Size

  • World Health Organization. (2012). The pursuit of responsible use of medicines: Sharing and learning from country experiences. World Health Organization. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/ iris/handle/10665/75828

  • Gitawati R. (2014). Pattern of household drug storage. Kesmas: Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat Nasional, 9(1), 27-31.

  • Kheir, N., El Hajj, M. S., Wilbur, K., Kaissi, R. M., & Yousif, A. (2011). An exploratory study on medications in Qatar homes. Drug Healthc Patient Saf., 3, 99-106.

  • Medhi, B., & Sewal, R. K. (2012). Ecopharmacovigilance: An issue urgently to be addressed. Indian J. Pharmacol, 44(5), 547-549.

  • Rockoff, J. D. (2010). Prescription drug scale rise 5.1% April 2. The Wall Street Journal.

  • Daughton, C. G. (2007). Pharmaceuticals in the environment: sources and their management. In M.

  • Petrovic & D. Barcelo (Ed.), Analysis, Fate and Removal of Pharmaceuticals in the Water Cycle (pp.1-58). Elsevier Science.

  • Rehan, A., & Noman, A. (2008). Case Study Report, Healthcare Waste Management in Karachi, Pakistan.

  • Swaroop, H. S., Charaborty, A., & Virupakshaiah, A. (2015). Knowledge, attitude and practice of medical professionals towards the safe disposal of unused medications in South India. World J. Pharm Sci., 4(5), 1423-1430.

  • Aditya, S. (2013). Safe medication disposal: Need to sensitize undergraduate students. Int J Pharm Life Sci., 4(3), 2475-80.

  • National Formulary of India. (2011). Disposal of unused/ expired pharmaceutical products (Appendix IV) (4th ed.). New Delhi: Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission.

  • Umamageshwari, A., GuruScindia, M. V., PristleyVivekkumar, S., & Geetha, R. (2017). Assessment of knowledge and practice toward disposal of expired drugs among medical professionals in Chennai - A cross-sectional prospective study. Asian J Pharm Clin Res., 10(12), 324-327.

  • PremSwaroop, A., & Varun, D. (2001). A glimpse on expiry date of pharmaceutical dosage forms. An International Journal of Advances in Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2(5-6), 423-433.

  • Basha, S. C., Gopinath, C., Madhu, M., & Babu, K. R. (2015). Recycling of drugs from expired drug products: Comprehensive review. Journal of Global Trends in Pharmaceutical Sciences, 6(2), 2596-2599.

  • PautKusturica, M., Tomas, A., & Sabo, A. (2017). Disposal of unused drugs: Knowledge and behavior among people around the world. Rev Environ ContamToxicol., 240, 71-104.

  • Vellinga, A., Cormican, S., Driscoll, J., Furey, M., O’Sullivan, M., & Cormican, M. (2014). Public practice regarding disposal of unused medicines in Ireland. Sci Total Environ., 14(478), 98-102.

  • US Food and Drug Administration. (2018). For consumers: How to dispose of unused medicines. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/Resources ForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsing MedicineSafely/UnderstandingOver-the-CounterMedicines


Abstract Views: 315

PDF Views: 0




  • Awareness and Practices of Disposal of Unwanted Medicines among Patients Visiting the OPD and Healthcare Professionals

Abstract Views: 315  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Astha Zalpuri
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali, Punjab, India
Vishal Kamra
Assistant Professor, Amity School of Business, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Rashmi Zalpuri
Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, Delhi, India
Aarti Garg
Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, Delhi, India

Abstract


Pharmaceuticals play a very substantial part in the treatment of various diseases and related problems. After the treatment, it is necessary to dispose the remnant medicines properly. The disposal of unused and expired medicines in a proper way is important, to evade buildup. Therefore, awareness and knowledge of drug disposal is essential. The pharmaceutical waste in water affects the health of humans. This study aims to evaluate the awareness of disposal among medical healthcare professionals and patients visiting hospitals. The contamination of pharmaceutical waste in the environment is due to the absence of awareness and knowledge among people. Proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste can prevent environmental contamination. In this study, about 100 participants from various categories were considered. The survey included different sections, such as demographics and questions pertaining to awareness. The survey was completed by 500 volunteers, of which 45% were male and 55% female. According to the study, 21% of the participants dispose expired/unused medicines by flushing them down the toilet/sink. Maximum awareness, of approximately 96%, was found among the nurses, about the importance of improper disposal. If the wastage of medication is controlled by the healthcare professionals, the ecological trail of medicines can be greatly reduced. There is a strong requirement for increasing awareness about safe disposal of medications among professionals in the healthcare system. This paper will be a vital tool to initiate effective medical waste management programmes in India.

Keywords


Unused Medicines, Waste, Expired Medicines, Drug Disposal

References