Assessment of Knowledge and Practice Regarding Disposal of Unused and Expired Drugs in Medical Professionals in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Eastern India: A Cross- Sectional, Questionnaire-based Study

Background: Despite the effect of drugs on human body getting wide attention worldwide the effect of disposed drugs on the environment is largely neglected. Since the doctors working in a teaching hospital are the major stakeholder in ensuring proper and safe disposal of drugs their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding drug disposal was assessed in this study. Methods: A pre-validated questionnaire was given to the doctors working in a tertiary care teaching hospital through Google form from 1st June,2023 to 31st July 2023. Their responses were recorded in a Microsoft excel form and analyzed. Results: It was observed that while buying medicines 87.5% of physicians check the date of expiry but only 78.9% do that while receiving physician’s sample from the medical representatives. Among the participants in this study 97.2% declared that medicines remain unused in their homes. In case of unused drugs, 45.8% donate them to patients or hospitals, and 29.2% throw them away with household garbage whereas in case of expired medicines majority (56.9%) throw them away. Among the participants 38.9% had never instructed their patients about the proper disposal methods. Conclusion: To ensure proper drug disposal programs should be initiated to increase awareness about the danger of improper drug disposal not only in general population but in medical community also.