Storage, Reuse and Disposal Practices of Home - Stored Medicines in Urban Households in Pune, India
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Date
2024-02
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Medsci Publications
Abstract
Background: Improper home medicine storage is a global issue that leads to medicine wastage contributing to adverse effects. There have only been a few community-based research studies for in-home drug storage methods, reasons for use and its disposal ways among the consumers of India, until date. Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was done from April 2023 to June 2023. Data were collected by face-to-face interview of household representative using pretested structured questionnaire on medicines in households, their utilization, storage and disposal practices. Results: Most of the participants (78.3%) were educated to the level of graduation and above and their common reported source of procurement for stored medicines was doctor’s previous prescriptions (61.79%) where 42.5% of them stored medicines for anticipated future use. Commonly stored drugs in households were analgesics and antihistaminics and drugs for digestive system while only 5.3% stored antibiotics mostly for ongoing treatment. Unsafe storage practices like storing medicines without proper labelling (65%) and within reach of children (33.49%) were found in the study. Also, 42.45% participants reported to share stored medicines with family members and friends. Major practice for drug disposal was reported as throwing in household garbage (93.1%). Conclusion: In current study, 100% prevalence of in-home storage medication practices among the well-educated consumers without proper care taken for their use, storage and disposal which may pose a risk to the environment as well as humans.
Description
Keywords
storage, medicine, disposal, household, developing countries
Citation
Suryawanshi S, Dhande PP, Dawane JS, Bhavsar A.. Storage, Reuse and Disposal Practices of Home - Stored Medicines in Urban Households in Pune, India. National Journal of Community Medicine. 2024 Feb; 15(2): 127-133