Knowledge, perception and practice of pharmaceutical waste disposal among the public in Lagos State, Nigeria
Halimat Adedeji-Adenola1,2,3, Afusat Adesina2,4, Margaret Obon2
1Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu- Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Introduction:
increased consumption of pharmaceuticals has been reported to cause a high level of their discharge into the environment, and even small quantities in the environment have the potential to cause harm.
Methods:
a descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted between April and May 2021. The questionnaire was made available online through social media platforms.
Results:
a total number of 534 respondents were surveyed. Two hundred and fifty respondents (46.8%) were presently on one or more medications. Many participants have not received advice on pharmaceutical waste from health professionals (413, 78.3%). There is fair knowledge about pharmaceutical waste 234 (43.8%). Many of the respondents think there is a lack of adequate information on what to do with them (500, 93.6%) and there should be a program/ strategy to retrieve all unused, leftover, or expired medicines (475, 88.9%). A lot of respondents throw unused medicines away in household garbage (391, 73.2%).
Conclusion:
there is fair knowledge, positive perception, and poor pharmaceutical waste disposal practice. There is a need for the implementation of a "medication take-back program" for appropriate waste disposal practice.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Pharmacovigilance
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:03Drug Control Governance: Regulatory Bodies and Their Impact
01:25Drug Regulation
01:26Standard Precaution
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
01:02Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...