Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the disposal of expired and unused medications among the Lebanese population

Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice

Research

Fadi Hodeib¹  Souraya Domiati²  Soula Abramian³  Aline Hajj⁴  Maria Akl⁵  Rony M. Zeenny⁶  Hala Sacre⁷  Marwan Akel⁸  Pascale Salameh⁹  Chadia Haddad^1,10  Samah Tawil^1,11 

[1] Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon;Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon;Drug Information Center, Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon;Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada;INSPECT-LB (Institut National de Santé Publique, d’Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban), Beirut, Lebanon;Oncology Division, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec City, QC, Canada;Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Pharmacie Clinique et Contrôle de Qualité Des Médicaments (LPCQM), Faculty of Pharmacy, Saint-Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon;Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK;INSPECT-LB (Institut National de Santé Publique, d’Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban), Beirut, Lebanon;Department of Pharmacy, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon;INSPECT-LB (Institut National de Santé Publique, d’Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban), Beirut, Lebanon;Drug Information Center, Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon;INSPECT-LB (Institut National de Santé Publique, d’Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban), Beirut, Lebanon;Pharmacy Practice Department, School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon;International Pharmaceutical Federation, The Hague, Netherlands;INSPECT-LB (Institut National de Santé Publique, d’Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban), Beirut, Lebanon;School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon;Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University of Nicosia Medical School, 2417, Nicosia, Cyprus;Faculty of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Hadat, Lebanon;INSPECT-LB (Institut National de Santé Publique, d’Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban), Beirut, Lebanon;School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon;Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, Lebanon;School of Health Sciences, Modern University for Business and Science, Beirut, Lebanon;School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon;Drug Information Center, Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon;

关键词: Medication waste;    Expiry;    Environment;    Garbage stream;    Community;    Pharmacy;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40545-022-00506-z

 received in 2022-11-25, accepted in 2022-12-16,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundMedication waste is a public health problem affecting developed and developing countries. In Lebanon, a developing country in the Middle East, efforts are being deployed in hospitals but not in the community.ObjectiveThis study aimed to validate a questionnaire to explore the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards the disposal of unused and expired medicines among the Lebanese population and then identify the factors associated with these variables comparatively between the general population and healthcare professionals.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among the general Lebanese population in May–June 2022 using a standardized questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the KAP scales were assessed, then a thorough statistical analysis was done to explore the factors associated with these scales.ResultsThe KAP scales generated by this study were valid and reliable. Using these scales, 24.5%, 22.6%, and 21% of participants demonstrated proper knowledge, attitude, and practice, respectively. Higher knowledge scores were significantly associated with female gender (Beta = 0.97), a high monthly income (Beta = 1.68), a secondary (Beta = 6.11) or university (Beta = 6.80) education level, and postgraduate education (Beta = 7.13). However, older age (Beta = − 0.06) and a low monthly income (Beta = − 3.06) were significantly associated with lower knowledge scores. A higher knowledge score (Beta = 0.06) was significantly associated with a more positive attitude regarding unused or expired medication disposal. Being a healthcare professional (Beta = 0.72) was significantly associated with a higher practice score, while being a female (Beta = − 0.32) and living in a rural area (Beta = − 0.37) were significantly associated with lower practice scores.ConclusionThis study validated KAP scales regarding medication waste in Lebanon and showed low KAP scores in the majority of respondents. Factors associated with higher KAP scores in various aspects of medication disposal, including gender, age, education level, and profession (healthcare professionals), suggest the need to consider those when implementing targeted corrective measures. Although further studies are required to confirm our findings, this study could be the ground for a medication waste management national strategy in Lebanon.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2022

【 图 表 】

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