Disposal Practices of Expired and Unused Medications Among Households in Punjab, Pakistan

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Abstract

Background:

The practice of disposing expired or unused medications by different households is generally not considered and is largely neglected.

Objective:

The study was carried out to determine the disposal practices regarding expired and unused medications in rural areas of Punjab, Pakistan.

Methods:

The study was conducted by interviewing different households and students (rural areas) from different universities in Punjab, Pakistan. The sample size was 676 and the questionnaire was used for data collection.

Results:

Out of 676 members, 552 (81.6%) had medications at the time of the visit. Only 14.5% (n= 80) were taking medication. Only 14.5% (n = 80) kept medication because the treatment was still in progress with the patients while 85.5% (n= 472) had medications that should be discarded. The main reasons for keeping the unused medications at home were completed treatment 34.7% (n= 164) after recovering from ailment. About 60.57% of female disposed the drugs in domestic trash while majority of male participants (48.72%) buried the drugs in the ground. Over 80% of respondents (n = 542) were unaware of the disposal methods. Almost half of the participants (n= 322) had no information about the impact of improper disposal. Statistically significant variations (p<0.001) were observed in the disposal practices depending on gender, age, education and occupation.

Conclusion:

Improper disposal of medication is a common practice in rural areas of Punjab, Pakistan. The launch of public education programs and the development of drug disposal facilities are very necessary to protect the environment and community health.

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Occurrences and removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in drinking water and water/sewage treatment plants: A review.

Yi Yang, Yong Ok, Ki-Hyun Kim … (2017)

In recent years, many of micropollutants have been widely detected because of continuous input of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) into the environment and newly developed state-of-the-art analytical methods. PPCP residues are frequently detected in drinking water sources, sewage treatment plants (STPs), and water treatment plants (WTPs) due to their universal consumption, low human metabolic capability, and improper disposal. When partially metabolized PPCPs are transferred into STPs, they elicit negative effects on biological treatment processes; therefore, conventional STPs are insufficient when it comes to PPCP removal. Furthermore, the excreted metabolites may become secondary pollutants and can be further modified in receiving water bodies. Several advanced treatment systems, including membrane filtration, granular activated carbon, and advanced oxidation processes, have been used for the effective removal of individual PPCPs. This review covers the occurrence patterns of PPCPs in water environments and the techniques adopted for their treatment in STP/WTP unit processes operating in various countries. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of the removal and fate of PPCPs in different treatment facilities as well as the optimum methods for their elimination in STP and WTP systems.

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Identifying mechanisms for facilitating knowledge to action strategies targeting the built environment

Ghazal S Fazli, Maria Creatore, Flora Matheson … (2017)

Background In recent years, obesity-related diseases have been on the rise globally resulting in major challenges for health systems and society as a whole. Emerging research in population health suggests that interventions targeting the built environment may help reduce the burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, translation of the evidence on the built environment into effective policy and planning changes requires engagement and collaboration between multiple sectors and government agencies for designing neighborhoods that are more conducive to healthy and active living. In this study, we identified knowledge gaps and other barriers to evidence-based decision-making and policy development related to the built environment; as well as the infrastructure, processes, and mechanisms needed to drive policy changes in this area. Methods We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of data collected through consultations with a broad group of stakeholders (N = 42) from Southern Ontario, Canada, within various sectors (public health, urban planning, and transportation) and levels of government (federal, provincial, and municipalities). Relevant themes were classified based on the specific phase of the knowledge-to-action cycle (research, translation, and implementation) in which they were most closely aligned. Results We identified 5 themes including: 1) the need for policy-informed and actionable research (e.g. health economic analyses and policy evaluations); 2) impactful messaging that targets all relevant sectors to create the political will necessary to drive policy change; 3) common measures and tools to increase capacity for monitoring and surveillance of built environment changes; (4) intersectoral collaboration and alignment within and between levels of government to enable collective actions and provide mechanisms for sharing of resources and expertise, (5) aligning public and private sector priorities to generate public demand and support for community action; and, (6) solution-focused implementation of research that will be tailored to meet the needs of policymakers and planners. Additional research priorities and key policy and planning actions were also noted. Conclusion Our research highlights the necessity of involving stakeholders in identifying inter-sectoral solutions to develop and translate actionable research on the built environment into effective policy and planning initiatives.