Household Storage of Medicines and Associated Factors in Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

IntroductionThe presence of medicines in households is a risk factor for irrational drug use. This study aimed at investigating the prevalence and factors associated with home storage of medicines in Tigray Region, Ethiopia.MethodA community based cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2013 in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. A total of 1034 participants were enrolled in the study. A multi-stage sampling method was employed to select households. Data were collected with the help of a pre-tested structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression.ResultOf the total households visited, 293(29%) stored drugs. The mean number of drugs per household was 1.73. The most common classes of drugs found in households were analgesics 149(29%) and antibiotics 128(25%). Most of the medicines kept in households were used for ongoing treatments 316(62%) and available in tablet dosage form (70%). More than half of the medications kept at homes were not adequately labeled while drawer 180(36%) were reported as the main place of drug storage. The proportion of home storage of medicines in rural area (AOR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.39–0.81) was lower than that of urban area. However, households having family member(s) working in health facilities (AOR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.09–3.77) were associated with an increased home storage of medicines.ConclusionMost drugs kept at home were not appropriately labeled and stored in a safe place. Residence area (rural versus urban) and the presence of health professional(s) in the households affects household drug storage. Hence, public education campaign should be considered as an intervention to improve the storage condition of medicines in the households.

Batı Etiyopya’nın Sire şehrinde kendi kendine tedavi uygulaması: kesitsel çalışma

“…The drugs most commonly stored were analgesics 12 (54.54%) and antimicrobials 6 (27.28%). In consistence with this finding the study conducted in Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia showed that analgesic and antibiotics were the most commonly stored category of modern drugs 20 . Most of the respondents, 10(45.45%), said they store their drugs to treat similar ailments in the future.Storing and using antibiotics without medical consultation, can lead to inappropriate use and contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistance 21 .…”

Storage, reuse, and disposal of unused medications: A cross-sectional study among rural households of Singur, West Bengal

“…This encourages the malpractice of wrongful selfmedication or sharing of medicines among friends, families exposing the community to potential health hazards such as adverse drug reactions and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance leading to ineffective treatment, poor quality of healthcare and also wastage of pharmaceutical resources. [4,5] Storing unused medication at home is a hidden hazard. Most medicines deteriorate with time leading to changes in their chemical composition rendering them less effective or, in some cases, potentially harmful if expired.…”

Antibiotic utilisation amongst Australian Chinese migrants: a web-based bilingual health survey

“…A study of household drug storage in North Ethiopia also revealed that households with a family member working in health facilities were more likely to have home drug storage (87). Drug storage was found to be more prevalent among urban residents compared to rural residents in that study.…”

“…Antibiotics are the most common group of in-house storage drugs (74,87). One out of ten households in the United Kingdom had antimicrobial drugs available at home (88).…”

“…One out of ten households in the United Kingdom had antimicrobial drugs available at home (88). Many studies reported that "leftover" medicines were kept for future use in households (81,(87)(88)(89)(90). "Leftover" is one of the informal sources of self-medication in migrants groups in New Zealand (7).…”