Community pharmacists' perceptions and knowledge of medication disposal

Purpose: Medication disposal is an emerging topic of concern due to potential ecological consequences, prescription drug abuse, and accidental ingestion and poisoning within homes.  The primary objective of this study is to describe pharmacist knowledge and attitudes towards medication disposal and confidence in the ability to counsel patients on appropriate medication disposal. 

Methods: A 16-item survey was distributed via SurveyMonkeyTM  to practicing community pharmacists.  Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.  Pearson’s Test for Correlation was used to explore relationships between variables.  Nominal variables were compared using Chi-squared test. 

Results: Surveys were sent to approximately 250 community pharmacists of which there were 132 complete, usable responses.  43.2% of respondents indicated they counsel on medication disposal 2-3 times per month with 73.5% indicating confidence in this ability.  78% of respondents identified pharmacists as a “good resource” for information on medication disposal, and 72% identified it as a professional responsibility.  Self-reported knowledge of disposal guidelines and take back programs is low, with only 56.1% and 54.5% of pharmacists responding in agreement.  In general, the number of years in practice did not correlate with knowledge of confidence.  However, new practitioners (those practicing 5 years or less), were 40% less likely to view inappropriate disposal of medicine as a significant public health problem compared with experienced practitioners (Chi Square = 0.037).

Conclusions: Appropriate medication disposal is a topic of concern for pharmacists and the public.  Despite recognizing appropriate medication disposal as a responsibility and area of expertise of pharmacists, knowledge of appropriate practices is relatively low.  This may be related to the overall indifference towards the impact of inappropriate disposal on the environment and public health.