Academic Journal
Disposal practices of unused and expired medications among healthcare practitioners in Ibadan, Nigeria: results from a cross-sectional survey.
| Title: | Disposal practices of unused and expired medications among healthcare practitioners in Ibadan, Nigeria: results from a cross-sectional survey. |
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| Authors: | Akande-Sholabi W; Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. wuradol@gmail.com., Abdul-Azeez IA; Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., Adebisi YA; College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK., Odukoya TO; Vanguard Pharmacy Limited, Ibadan, Nigeria., Ilori T; Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.; Department of Family Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. |
| Source: | BMC health services research [BMC Health Serv Res] 2025 Oct 01; Vol. 25 (1), pp. 1262. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Oct 01. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101088677 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1472-6963 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14726963 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Health Serv Res Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001- |
| MeSH Terms: | Medical Waste Disposal*/methods , Refuse Disposal*/methods , Health Personnel*/statistics & numerical data, Pharmacists/statistics & numerical data ; Nigeria ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Female ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Patient Education as Topic |
| Abstract: | INTRODUCTION: The improper disposal of unused and expired medications (UEMs) poses significant public health and environmental risks. Healthcare practitioners are pivotal in promoting safe disposal practices, yet their behaviours and educational roles remain underexplored. This study assessed UEM disposal practices among healthcare practitioners in Ibadan, Nigeria, and their engagement in patient education on safe disposal methods. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using validated questionnaire was conducted from September 2023 to February 2024 among 255 healthcare practitioners (65 physicians, 64 hospital pharmacists, and 126 community pharmacists) in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26.0, with associations tested via Pearson’s Chi-square (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Most practitioners reported possessing UEMs at home (81.5% physicians, 84.4% hospital pharmacists, 73.8% community pharmacists). Improper disposal was prevalent, with 92.3% of physicians, 76.6% of hospital pharmacists, and 78.6% of community pharmacists discarding UEMs in household waste. Years of experience significantly influenced positive disposal perceptions (χ² = 14.00, p = 0.003), with 87.5% of practitioners with over 30 years of experience exhibiting good perceptions compared to 45.5% with 0–10 years. Patient inquiries about disposal were rare (78.0% physicians, 71.8% hospital pharmacists, 69.8% community pharmacists reported “rarely” or “never”), and only 58.7% of community pharmacists had ever educated patients on disposal. Community pharmacists showed the strongest support for a medication retrieval strategy (96.0%), followed by hospital pharmacists (93.8%) and physicians (86.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite awareness of proper UEM disposal, healthcare practitioners frequently use improper methods, such as household waste disposal, and rarely educate patients. Policy interventions, including standardized disposal protocols and mandatory training, are essential to bridge this gap and enhance safe disposal practices. |
| Competing Interests: | Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval for the study was obtained from UI/UCH ethical committee with approval number UI/EC/23/0351 and Oyo State Research Ethics Review Committee with approval number NHREC/OYOSHRIEC/10/11/22. Permission was obtained by the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee at the University College Hospital. Permission was also obtained from the Chief Medical Director, Adeoyo Maternity Teaching Hospital and the Chief Consultant, Jericho Specialist Hospital. Informed consent in accordance with the approved study protocol by the Ethics committee, was obtained from individual participants after explaining the objectives and procedure of the study to participants individually. Only the consented participants within the study period were enrolled. The study was carried out by following the principles outlined in the Helsinki Declaration of 1964. All participants provided written informed consent before completing the questionnaire. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Healthcare practitioners; Household waste; Medications; Patient education; Safe disposal |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 0 (Medical Waste Disposal) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20251002 Date Completed: 20260626 Latest Revision: 20260626 |
| Update Code: | 20260627 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC12487101 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12913-025-13492-0 |
| PMID: | 41034853 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1472-6963 |
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| DOI: | 10.1186/s12913-025-13492-0 |