Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Awareness of Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal among Local Public of Karachi
Public Perception and Disposal Practices of Pharmaceutical Waste
Keywords:
Drug take back program, Human health, Pharmaceutical waste disposalAbstract
Inappropriate disposal of expired and unused drugs by households is a major source of environmental pollution and contamination, posing a significant health hazard. This study aims to evaluate the general knowledge and practices of pharmaceutical waste disposal among the masses of Karachi. The study is a descriptive cross-sectional survey involving household members who use prescribed and Over the counter (OTC) medicines from different localities of Karachi. The study was conducted through a predesigned structured questionnaire from January 2025 to March 2025. A total of 2000 participants were included. Results revealed that 74% participants were aware of the harmful effects of medicinal wastes. However, only 4% were following drug take back programs, 96% even educated participants were oblivious to the existence of any such system. Around 86% of the participants mentioned disposing of expired/unused medicines in the dustbin, while 8% admitted flushing them down the sink/toilet. Hence, it is concluded that knowledge and proper implementation of pharmaceutical waste disposal are severely lacking in this global city and require urgent attention to prevent further adverse effects on human health.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Erum Zaheer, Dr. Kiran Rafiq, Dr. Shagufta Nesar, Bushra Hina
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