Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, 10045, Iraq.
F1000Res. 2023 Oct 16;12:1333. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.142146.1. eCollection 2023.
The appropriate disposal of medication is a well-recognized issue that has convened growing recognition in several contexts. Insufficient awareness relating to appropriate methods for the disposal of unneeded medicine may result in notable consequences. The current research was conducted among the public in Iraq with the aim of examining their knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding the proper disposal of unused and expired medicines.
The present study used an observational cross-sectional design that was community-based. The data were obtained from using an online questionnaire. The study sample included people of diverse genders, regardless of their race or occupational status. The study mandated that all participants meet two criteria: firstly, they had to be a minimum of 18 years old, and secondly, they needed to have permanent residency status in Iraq.
The research population consisted of 591 participants from general population. The majority of participants were men (64.8%) with average age of 33.5±9.1 years. The majority of participants (˃50%) answered four out of eight knowledge questions correctly. There were significant (P-value ˂0.05) differences in four knowledge items about disposing of unused/expired medications according to the educational level. Elder participants had significantly higher knowledge about the disposing of unused/expired medications compared to younger ones. More than 84% correctly agreed that improper disposal of unused and expired medication has adverse effects on environment. Although the majority of the participants had positive attitude toward the safe disposal of unused/expired medications, their actual practice was improper for these medications. Approximately 70% of the participants have disposed unused/expired medications into their home trash can.
Despite increasing awareness from the general populace about the possible harm and substantial hazards linked to expired medicines, there is an absence of understanding concerning the proper techniques for disposing of and managing these prescriptions.
适当处理药物是一个公认的问题，在多个领域引起了越来越多的关注。由于缺乏有关处理不需要的药物的适当方法的意识，可能会导致显著的后果。本研究在伊拉克公众中进行，旨在调查他们对未使用和过期药物的正确处理的知识、态度和做法。
本研究采用基于社区的观察性横断面设计。数据来自在线问卷。研究样本包括不同性别的人，无论种族或职业地位如何。研究要求所有参与者符合两个标准：首先，他们必须年满 18 岁，其次，他们必须在伊拉克拥有永久居住权。
研究人群由 591 名来自普通人群的参与者组成。大多数参与者是男性（64.8%），平均年龄为 33.5±9.1 岁。大多数参与者（>50%）正确回答了 8 个知识问题中的 4 个。根据教育水平，有 4 个关于处理未使用/过期药物的知识项目存在显著差异（P 值<0.05）。与年轻人相比，年长的参与者对处理未使用/过期药物的知识明显更高。超过 84%的人正确认为，不正确处理未使用和过期的药物会对环境产生不利影响。尽管大多数参与者对安全处理未使用/过期药物的态度积极，但他们对这些药物的实际处理方式并不正确。大约 70%的参与者将未使用/过期的药物扔进了家庭垃圾桶。
尽管公众对过期药物可能造成的危害和重大危害的认识不断提高，但对处理和管理这些处方的正确方法缺乏了解。
