To Ascertain The Level Of Awareness And Adherence To Proper Disposal Methods For Leftover And Expired Medication Among Nursing And Dental Students

Abstract

Aim: To ascertain the level of awareness and adherence to proper disposal methods for leftover and expired medication among nursing and dental students.
Material and methods: The study included senior level students of nursing and dental (2nd, 3rd and 4th year dental and nursing students). Convenience sampling is a non-probability technique in which study subjects are selected based on certain criteria, such as availability at a given time, willingness to participate, accessibility, and geographical proximity to the researchers. The
questionnaire consisted of 10 items divided into two parts and included both multiple choice and binary answers. Part A contained demographic questions, including age, marital status, and methods for obtaining medication. Part B addressed
students’ knowledge and habits regarding unused and expired medicine.
Results: Of the participants, 65% of dental students and 60% of nursing students reported that they check the expiry date of medicine before procuring it from the pharmacy, while 25% of dental students and 17.5% of nursing students said they do not check it. A small percentage of both groups (10% and 22.2%, respectively) said they did not know. Nearly half of dental students (51.2%) and over half of nursing students (67.5%) threw away leftover medicines in household garbage, while 3.7% and 2.5%, respectively, flushed unused medicine down the sink or toilet. A large majority of both dental (77.5%) and nursing (91.2%) students said they discard expired medication in household garbage, while 11.2% and 5 %, respectively, flushed expired medicine down the toilet or sink. Interestingly, only a small percentage of both groups said they return leftover or expired medicine to the medical store or pharmacy. More than half (72.5%) of dental students and a majority (70%) of nursing students agreed that the responsibility for creating awareness of proper disposal methods for leftover and expired medicine lies with the Ministry of Health.
Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate the need for improvement in practices by Indian health care students regarding the disposal of leftover and expired medicine. Improper disposal of medication can cause contamination of water supplies, introduce toxins into the environment, and risk unintentional overdose or drug abuse.