Household Disposal and Recycling of Medication in Saudi Arabia: A Call for Introducing Drug Take-Back Programs

Abstract

Background: Inappropriate disposal practices of medicinal products by households can harm nature. Alternatively, passing unused medications to friends and family members can have undesirable consequences as the quality of the product is in question. Objective: To investigate the disposal and recycling practices of medicinal products by households in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire designed to investigate disposal and recycling practices aimed at households in Saudi Arabia. Phone interviews were conducted with healthcare providers from hospitals and community pharmacies as well as medical charity representatives. A thorough search (Jun-September 2020) for disposal and recycling policies was performed on the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) and the Ministry of Health websites. Results: More than 900 participants were included in this study. Approximately 40% of respondents claimed to follow the SFDA recommendations for the disposal of unwanted medications in the wastebasket, whilst ≥6% preferred disposal via the toilet. On the other hand, 10% and 5% of households donated their unwanted over-the-counter and prescription-only medication products, respectively, to a person in need, without referring to healthcare professionals. Interviews with healthcare providers and medical charities revealed no drug take-back programs were currently available for households. The SFDA website provides a brief guide on the disposal of unwanted or expired medication. Conclusions: The absence of a clear drug disposal policy for households has created a gap allowing incorrect disposal practices that may lead to harming patients and/or the environment. The launching of drug take-back programs may lead to the provision of a clear consensus of governing bodies and healthcare providers on patient guidance for a safe drug disposal policy.

Work experience, profession type, and perception of medication waste disposal among healthcare workers: A study in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

“…This study showed that 28 % of the respondents were less likely to adhere to policies and guidelines which control medication waste disposal. This finding was consistent with a finding from a previous study, in which the participants pharmacists’ response that there was no clear census policy on how to appropriately dispose of medication waste ( Lucca et al, 2019 , Alqurshi, 2020 ). The Food and Drug Authority (FDA), in United States, had launched several guidelines for the safe disposal of unused and expired medicine which includes the take-back program ( Hendaus et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Patient education, improving prescribing practices, patients’ engagements with their healthcare to ensure their medication adherence, and establishing a nation-wide return and medication disposal program in the community are the four proposed approaches to overcome medication waste issue. ( Alqurshi, 2020 , Alghadeer and Al-Arifi, 2021 ).…”

“…A take-back policy means that patients can return their un-used and un-wanted medications to drug stores or manufacturers. However, in Saudi Arabia, no standard policy or guideline was established to govern the proper disposal of medication waste ( AlAzmi et al, 2017 , Alqurshi, 2020 ).…”

Household Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal as a Global Problem—A Review

“…The analysis of the behavior of pharmacy students in Saudi Arabia showed that the percentage of female students found to throw unused or expired drugs into the household garbage was significantly higher compared with the male students [ 37 ]. On the other hand, Akkici et al (2018), in studies conducted among respondents in Turkey, observed that a higher percentage of women declared having changed their unused drug handling practice (49.9%) than men (38.5%) [ 80 ], whereas age, gender or education did not affect the environmental behavior of the respondents in Romania, the USA, Thailand or Ireland with regard to the handling of unused drugs [ 6 , 46 , 59 , 71 , 79 ].…”