Public awareness about safe drug disposal: a crosssectional study at karachi, pakistan

Abstract

Background: Medicine plays a self-centered role in cure, amelioration, and prevention of illness. As the accessibility to medication increased, their significant quantity left unused at home. This study was aimed to assess the practice of storage, reuse, and drug disposal methods among the residents of Karachi. Materials and Methods: It was a community-based cross-sectional study, conducted at Karachi during January 2018–February 2018. We included 201 participants of 18–60 years of age. Data were collected by means of Google forms using non-probability convenient sampling techniques. Results: A total of 201people responded, mainly females (87.6%), 18–30 years of age (95%) having no significant medical illness (70.1%) instead 35.3% had leftover medicines at home while 52.2% assumed to have these in next 6 months. Most common unused medicine was analgesic (26.9%) getting disposed by throwing them in trash (87.1%) mainly due to change of prescribed medicine by the doctor (56.2%) which can be avoided by informing the patient’s exact quantity of medicine required (53.2%). They recommended there must be special collection points for drug disposal (43.3%). Around 91.5% checked expiry date, 98.5% knew the dangers of self-discontinuation of medication while 78.1% never received information on safe drug disposal so they (99.5%) appreciated to conduct safe drug disposal awareness programs. Conclusions: Unused medicine exists almost in every home and in any form. People possess these but they do not know how to dispose these. Therefore, awareness programs about safe drug disposal should be conducted. Guidelines and policies should be introduced and implemented in this regard. Leftover medicines should be channelized to poor and needy with the help of community pharmacy.