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Attitudes and Practice Regarding Disposal for Unwanted Medications among Young Adults and Elderly People in China from an Ecopharmacovigilance Perspective

Author

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  • Xiaotan Yu

    (New Medicine Innovation and Development Institute, Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
    Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China)

  • Xianmin Hu

    (New Medicine Innovation and Development Institute, Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
    Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China)

  • Shulan Li

    (New Medicine Innovation and Development Institute, Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
    Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China)

  • Mengya Zhang

    (New Medicine Innovation and Development Institute, Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
    Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China)

  • Jun Wang

    (New Medicine Innovation and Development Institute, Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
    Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China)

Abstract

Due to the expensive cost and uncertain effectiveness of environmental management options in eliminating pharmaceutical residues, recently, decreasing the emission of pharmaceutical pollutants from a drug administration perspective has been considered a hot area of research. As a kind of drug administration for the environment, ecopharmacovigilance (EPV) emphasizes the source control of pharmaceutical pollutants. Disposal of unwanted medicines has been considered as the easiest target for source control of pharmaceutical contamination. Here, we focused on public attitudes and practice regarding disposal of unwanted medicines from the EPV perspective among 365 Chinese university young adults and 206 elderly retirement home residents. The results showed that the majority of respondents had positive attitudes, but exhibited inadequate awareness and poor practice. In addition, the young-adult respondents were found to pay more attention to the environmental problems posed by pharmaceutical residues, and be more supportive of the EPV intervention predominantly performed by pharmaceutical industries and pharmacists. Therefore, it is urgent to establish the standard medicine disposal protocols and educate the general public on the best way for medication disposal under the principle of EPV in China, and efforts on environmentally-preferred drug disposal under EPV should target for the specific demographics.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaotan Yu & Xianmin Hu & Shulan Li & Mengya Zhang & Jun Wang, 2019. "Attitudes and Practice Regarding Disposal for Unwanted Medications among Young Adults and Elderly People in China from an Ecopharmacovigilance Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-16, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:8:p:1463-:d:225716
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jun Lv & Xuan Liu & Sivhuang Lay, 2021. "The Impact of Consequences Awareness of Public Environment on Medicine Return Behavior: A Moderated Chain Mediation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-19, September.
    2. Faez Alnahas & Prince Yeboah & Louise Fliedel & Ahmad Yaman Abdin & Khair Alhareth, 2020. "Expired Medication: Societal, Regulatory and Ethical Aspects of a Wasted Opportunity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-17, January.
    3. Delia-Andrada Duca & Mircea Laurențiu Dan & Nicolae Vaszilcsin, 2021. "Recycling of Expired Ceftamil Drug as Additive in the Copper and Nickel Electrodeposition from Acid Baths," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-14, September.
    4. Justyna Rogowska & Agnieszka Zimmermann, 2022. "Household Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal as a Global Problem—A Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-29, November.
    5. Yumei Luo & Kai Reimers & Lei Yang & Jinping Lin, 2021. "Household Drug Management Practices of Residents in a Second-Tier City in China: Opportunities for Reducing Drug Waste and Environmental Pollution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-15, August.

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