Unused and expired medications disposal practices in the community: a cross-sectional survey in Cheras, Malaysia

Irresponsible disposal of unused and expired medicationsmay lead to both environmental and public health hazards andhas been subject of several studies [1-3]. The presence ofpharmaceuticals and their respective metabolites in theaquatic environment has become a source for rising concern inrecent years and several studies [2,3 ] have shown that theexistence of these substances in waste water and drinkingwater [4] and they may be potentially harmful to aquatic life.Besides, risk to human life remained a concern [2]. Therefore,the objective of this study was to assess medication disposalpractices and environmental risks awareness of improperdisposal of medications among individuals in the community.A 9-item structured questionnaire was developed based onexisting literature [1-3]. Following a pre-test on ten people in acommunity shopping mall, the final questionnaire wasadministered face-to-face to a convenience sample of 200participants at different areas in two large shopping malls andsurrounding restaurants in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Findings demonstrate that Majority of participants (51.5%)were male. In terms of ethnic distribution, the majority ofparticipants surveyed were Chinese (66.5%), followed byMalays (17.0%) and Indians (15.5%). Majority of participants(47.5%) were aged between 20-29 years old.