Safe Disposal of Medicines in Palestine

The disposal of unwanted and expired medications has been a concern to public health practitioners, and patients alike. The objective of the current investigation was to look closely at the practice of patients and cares in Nablus-Palestine with regard to disposal of unused or expired medicines. The study was a cross-sectional survey administered via face-to-face structured interviews with randomly selected patients, community pharmacists and physicians from Nablus-Palestine. Two hundred and fifty patients/cares completed a questionnaire regarding medicines disposal current practice, effects on environment, and their views to overcome this problem. Most of the people completing the questionnaire (67%) stated that they throw unwanted medicines in the normal household bins, and about 75% think that this can impose illegal and environmental hazards. Nearly half of the questionnaire showed that main reason for need to dispose medicines was possessing expired ones with almost believe there should be more appropriate way to dispose medicines. About 95% said they have not been directed for safe disposal of medicines with 46% thinking that a national campaign can be very educative in this issue mainly through Ministry of Health (54%) followed by .73% of the sampled patients were in favor of national campaign to direct people to safe disposal of medicines. This pilot study in Nablus clearly highlights the need for appropriate method for safe disposal of medicines in Palestine through guidelines in pharmacies and hospitals. A well organized method for collecting unwanted medicines from people should be encouraged through appropriate teaching of patients and carers about effects of waste medicines on environment as well as being domestic hazard. The data and information is valuable for furthering discussions regarding patients behaviour and also provides a basis for future research into determining what quantities of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are disposed, enter the environment and what effects it can impose.