Public practices regarding disposal of medications and general assessment of pharmaceutical waste management by hospitals and pharmaceutical factories in Sudan

Abstract EN

The use of pharmaceuticals is in a genuine increase and with this increase comes increase in pharmaceutical wastes, which have many adverse effects on health and environment.

this study investigated practices of the public, factories and hospitals regarding medication waste disposal and management in Khartoum state.

244 patients, 17 factories and 27 hospitals were surveyed.

with 82.35% as a response rate for factories; the two most used methods in factories for the final disposal of pharmaceutical wastes, was use of private unspecialized cleaning companies and landfill, and with 81.48% as a response rate for hospitals; 72% of these hospitals had no operating incinerators, the most common methods for disposal in these hospitals were, returned to the manufacturer (40%), used private unspecialized cleaning companies (31%), used high temperature incineration (27% ) and 22% used landfill.

respondent patients reported, that 44% of them possessed unused medications and 19% possessed expired medications at home.

85% of these patients reported never been advised on medication disposal by a health provider.

44% of unused medications were stored at home, and the main methods of disposal of expired medications were throwing in the garbage.

40%, rinsing down a sink or flushing down a toilet 19%, buried under ground 3%and burned the medications at home 3%.

these results shows that there is a great lack of awareness and education concerning medication disposal, a number of problems of inappropriate disposal methods and the lack of clear specific regulations concerning pharmaceutical wastes managements.