ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: By giving precedence to sustainable disposal practices, pharmacies can minimize the environmental repercussions of expired drugs while simultaneously ensuring public health safety and demonstrating responsible resource management. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to examine the sustainable disposal practices for expired drugs in hospital and community pharmacies. METHODS: The present research was conducted within hospital and community pharmacies in Ugbowo, Benin City. A cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire administered to some hospital and community pharmacists. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit the participants and structured questionnaires were administered. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and descriptive statistics was employed to interpret collected data. RESULTS: The study revealed that the most common disposal methods in hospital pharmacies reported included incineration (59.1%), followed by third-party waste disposal services (36.4%) and return to the manufacturer (4.5%). For community pharmacies however, return to the manufacturer emerged as the predominant disposal method, constituting 48.9% of responses, followed by drug take-back programs (27.7%), and on-site incineration (19.1%). The challenges faced by community pharmacies in disposing of expired drugs included lack of access to drug take-back programs (42.6%), limited resources for on-site disposal (38.3%), and regulatory constraints (14.9%) while the main challenges encountered in disposing of expired drugs within hospital pharmacy settings included limited storage space (63.6%) and lack of proper disposal guidelines (27.3%). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, addressing the challenges associated with drug disposal requires a multifaceted approach that involves education, policy interventions, and infrastructure improvements. By implementing sustainable disposal practices in pharmacy settings, we can mitigate environmental risks, promote public health, and contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future. KEY WORDS: Sustainable disposal practices, Expired drugs, Hospital pharmacies and Community pharmacies.
