Kaya Ayten, Genç Fatma
İkizce Vocational School, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Giresun University, Giresun, Turkey.
BMC Public Health. 2025 Feb 14;25(1):622. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-21501-4.
Although irrational drug use is more common in underdeveloped and developing countries, it remains a significant health problem worldwide and is considered a habit that is difficult to correct. This study was conducted to determine individuals' attitudes toward rational drug use at the household level, the costs of unused drugs within households, and the methods of disposal used.
The research is descriptive and cross-sectional and was conducted between March 1, 2022, and May 30, 2022. The study consists of families who reside in a district in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The research was carried out with 385 families, and data were collected through a questionnaire prepared by the researchers using face-to-face interviews. SPSS (25.0)soft ware package was used for data analysis.
The average age of the participants is 47.99 ± 17.81, with 66.8% of the participants being female. 52.5% of the participants use medication without consulting healthcare professionals when they are ill, 49.4% do not take their medication as prescribed, and 56.4% store medication at home. 28.1% of individuals do not check the expiration date of their medication, and 33.5% do not read the drug prospectus. Participants dispose of unused drugs by throwing them in the trash (36.6%) or storing them at home (36.4%). The cost of medication in households is 7,398 USD, and the cost of unused medication is 1,315 USD. The average cost of unused medication per households is calculated as 3.70 USD (112. 38 TL).
Rational drug use is lower among those with lower education levels. Families dispose of unused drugs in inappropriate ways. 18% of the medication in households is unused, contributing to the burden on families and the national economy. Increasing public awareness of rational drug use and the sale of medications in smaller quantities at the box/bottle level can help prevent the accumulation ofmedication at home. Practical and sustainable solutions should be implemented for the disposal of unused drugs.
尽管不合理用药在欠发达国家和发展中国家更为普遍，但它在全球范围内仍是一个重大的健康问题，并且被视为一种难以纠正的习惯。本研究旨在确定个人在家庭层面上对合理用药的态度、家庭内未使用药物的成本以及所采用的处理方法。
该研究为描述性横断面研究，于2022年3月1日至2022年5月30日进行。研究对象为居住在土耳其黑海地区一个区的家庭。该研究对385个家庭进行，通过研究人员编制的问卷采用面对面访谈的方式收集数据。使用SPSS（25.0）软件包进行数据分析。
参与者的平均年龄为47.99±17.81岁，66.8%的参与者为女性。52.5%的参与者在生病时不咨询医疗保健专业人员就自行用药，49.4%的参与者不按规定服药，56.4%的参与者在家中储存药物。28.1%的人不检查药物的有效期，33.5%的人不阅读药品说明书。参与者通过将未使用的药物扔进垃圾桶（36.6%）或在家中储存（36.4%）来处理它们。家庭用药成本为7398美元，未使用药物的成本为1315美元。每户未使用药物的平均成本计算为3.70美元（112.38土耳其里拉）。
教育水平较低者的合理用药率较低。家庭以不恰当的方式处理未使用的药物。家庭中18%的药物未被使用，这给家庭和国民经济带来了负担。提高公众对合理用药的认识以及以盒装/瓶装形式销售小剂量药物有助于防止药物在家中积累。应实施切实可行且可持续的未使用药物处理解决方案。
