(83) Storage and Disposal of Medicines by Households in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Friday, August 26, 2022

8:00 AM – 6:00 PM CEST

Location: Hall C

Publication Number: 414

Presenting Author(s)

Nisha Jha
– Dr., KIST Medical College, KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Imadol, Lalitpur, Nepal, Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal

Co-Author(s)

Sajala Kafle
– Lecturer, Department of Pharmacology, KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Bagmati, Nepal
Shital Bhandary
– Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Nepal, Bagmati, Nepal
Pathiyil Ravi Shankar
– Professor, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Malaysia

Background: Nepal is, a South Asian country (population approximately 29 million) divided into seven provinces. Unused medicines can be stored by many people at their places of residence and houses for later use.

Objectives: To assess the status of medicine disposal and storage practices and evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice of medicine storage and disposal techniques among households of the three districts of the Kathmandu valley.

Methods: A cross sectional study with a two-stage cluster survey design was done using a semi-structured questionnaire during April to October 2021. The study population were the household heads. Simple random sampling was done to select clusters during the first stage and systematic random sampling to select households during the second stage. Descriptive statistics and t-test/One-way ANOVA were used to compare the respondents’ mean knowledge scores. Practice variables were presented using frequency distribution.

Results: 52.4% of the respondents were from Kathmandu district whereas nearly 20% were from Bhaktapur and 30% were from Lalitpur. Nearly two thirds were male and about 25% had a bachelor’s degree. Nearly half were working on daily wage and nearly one third earned between 20 and 40 thousand Nepalese rupees (USD 168 to 336) a month. Around 90% respondents agreed that storage of excess medicines at home may promote self-medication.
Similarly, 97.6% of respondents agreed that there is lack of adequate information on safe disposal of unused medicines. Majority 125 (59.5%) always checked the expiry date of medicines. The safe methods of medicine disposal were not known by 137 (65.2%) participants. Throwing in dustbin was the preferred method of expired medicine disposal.

Conclusions: There is good level of knowledge and practice of disposing the unused medicines among the public of Kathmandu Valley. Various educational intervention programs may help improve awareness further. Creating a chart summarizing disposal procedures of common medicines is important. Similar studies in other regions of Nepal are required.