Work

Knowledge, Awareness, and Practice of Disposal of Unused Medicines among Medical Undergraduates: A Cross-sectional Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that medicines are vital in preserving human health, there are risks involved in improperly managing medicines both during and after use. Medication waste requires appropriate management and safe disposal to avoid its detrimental effects and maintain continuous environmental sustainability while protecting public health. It is anticipated that safe disposal of medicines that are unused or past their expiry dates can be ensured by sensitizing medical undergraduates in their learning phase, along with timely preventive and corrective actions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based, observational study conducted in 500 medical undergraduates. Information was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire after obtaining written informed consent. No personal information was recorded on the questionnaire to ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of participants are maintained. RESULTS: We enrolled 500 participants, 268 were males and 232 were females. About 88.4% of participants responded having unused expired medicines at home. Almost 40.8% of participants mentioned having an estimated 1-5 numbers of unused medicines at home, and tablets were the most common leftover dosage form as reported by 72.2% of the participants. Antibiotics (29.6%) were the major class of medicines left unused at home. The most common method of medicine disposal was in the garbage (56.8%). 99.2% of participants believed educating the public and healthcare professionals on how to dispose unused medicines safely will help in saving environment. CONCLUSION: There is a need for sensitizing medical undergraduates regarding safe disposal practices, which can reduce environmental hazards and minimize harm to public health.

Source: Annals of African Medicine

DOI: 10.4103/aam.aam_181_24

Authors: Jaspreet Kaur Sidhu, Ashwani Kumar Gupta, Prithpal Singh Matreja, Amandeep Singh

Institutions: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences, Teerthanker Mahaveer Medical College & Research Centre, Government of Haryana

Language: English

Topic: Healthcare and Environmental Waste Management

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W4411713668

FWCI:

Cites: 13

Cited by:

Related to: 10