OBJECTIVES: To (1) determine the public's current method of medication disposal, (2) identify the public's knowledge of the environmental impact of inappropriate medication disposal, (3) determine whether student-facilitated education improves the public's awareness of safe medication disposal, and (4) determine whether the public recognizes student pharmacists as a public health information resource for issues such as safe disposal of medications. DESIGN: Cross sectional. SETTING: Albany, NY, pharmacies during August and September 2009. PARTICIPANTS: 242 patrons at 13 Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Community Pharmacy Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (CPAPPE) sites (2 mass merchandiser, 5 community chain, and 6 grocery store pharmacies). INTERVENTION: Nine-question baseline and five-question postintervention anonymous surveys were administered to a convenience sample of store patrons 18 years of age or older. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Medication disposal practices before and after education, beliefs on the environmental importance of inappropriate disposal practices, and perceptions of student pharmacists as sources of information. RESULTS: Students from CPAPPE sites completed 242 educational interventions. Respondents were primarily women (72%). At baseline, 12.8% of patients disposed of medication appropriately. Respondents frequently flushed medications down the toilet (27.2%) or incorrectly dumped medications in the trash (34.6%). Only 30.9% had received previous advice on safe medication disposal. Posteducation survey results indicated that 80.1% of respondents were willing to change their disposal methods. Increased numbers of respondents viewed inappropriate medication disposal as a moderate to substantial problem (from 57.2% preeducation to 83.9% posteducation). Of participants, 59.7% strongly agreed that student pharmacists were a good resource for information on safe medication disposal. CONCLUSION: Additional public education on safe medication disposal is needed. Student pharmacists produced positive outcomes toward reducing this environmental and potential public health risk.
OBJECTIVES: To (1) determine the public's current method of medication disposal, (2) identify the public's knowledge of the environmental impact of inappropriate medication disposal, (3) determine whether student-facilitated education improves the public's awareness of safe medication disposal, and (4) determine whether the public recognizes student pharmacists as a public health information resource for issues such as safe disposal of medications. DESIGN: Cross sectional. SETTING: Albany, NY, pharmacies during August and September 2009. PARTICIPANTS: 242 patrons at 13 Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Community Pharmacy Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (CPAPPE) sites (2 mass merchandiser, 5 community chain, and 6 grocery store pharmacies). INTERVENTION: Nine-question baseline and five-question postintervention anonymous surveys were administered to a convenience sample of store patrons 18 years of age or older. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Medication disposal practices before and after education, beliefs on the environmental importance of inappropriate disposal practices, and perceptions of student pharmacists as sources of information. RESULTS: Students from CPAPPE sites completed 242 educational interventions. Respondents were primarily women (72%). At baseline, 12.8% of patients disposed of medication appropriately. Respondents frequently flushed medications down the toilet (27.2%) or incorrectly dumped medications in the trash (34.6%). Only 30.9% had received previous advice on safe medication disposal. Posteducation survey results indicated that 80.1% of respondents were willing to change their disposal methods. Increased numbers of respondents viewed inappropriate medication disposal as a moderate to substantial problem (from 57.2% preeducation to 83.9% posteducation). Of participants, 59.7% strongly agreed that student pharmacists were a good resource for information on safe medication disposal. CONCLUSION: Additional public education on safe medication disposal is needed. Student pharmacists produced positive outcomes toward reducing this environmental and potential public health risk.
Authors: Justine S Gortney; Sheila Seed; Nancy Borja-Hart; Veronica Young; Lisa J Woodard; Dolores Nobles-Knight; David M Scott; James D Nash Journal: Am J Pharm Educ Date: 2013-08-12 Impact factor: 2.047
Authors: Vincent C Dennis; Dianne W May; Tina J Kanmaz; Shannon L Reidt; Michelle L Serres; Heather D Edwards Journal: Am J Pharm Educ Date: 2016-09-25 Impact factor: 2.047
Authors: Soo Min Jang; Jennifer Cerulli; Darren W Grabe; Chester Fox; Joseph A Vassalotti; Alexander J Prokopienko; Amy Barton Pai Journal: Prev Chronic Dis Date: 2014-12-18 Impact factor: 2.830