Pharmacy and Nursing Students’ Knowledge and Practices Concerning the Disposal of Unused and Expired Medicines in Kosovo
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Respondents | Pharmacy (n = 167) | Nursing (n = 169) | |
---|---|---|---|
N (%) | N (%) | ||
Gender | Male | 38 (22.8) | 30 (17.8) |
Female | 129 (77.2) | 139 (82.2) | |
Age | 18–22 | 122 (71.1) | 145 (85.8) |
23–26 | 20 (12) | 15 (8.9) | |
27–30 | 7 (4.2) | 4 (2.4) | |
>30 | 18 (10.8) | 5 (3) | |
Year of Studies | BSc–Year 1 | 38 (22.8) | 31 (18.3) |
BSc–Year 2 | 14 (8.4) | 57 (33.7) | |
BSc–Year 3 | 72 (43.1) | 77 (45.6) | |
MSc–Year 1 | 27 (16.2) | 0 (0) | |
MSc–Year 2 | 16 (9.6) | 4 (2.4) |
How Do You Purchase Medicines? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Pharmacy (n = 167) | Nursing (n = 169) | ||
Responses | N (%) | N (%) | p-Value |
With prescription | |||
Yes | 131 (78.4) | 165 (97.6) | 0.000 |
No | 36 (21.6) | 4 (2.4) | |
Without prescription (OTC) | |||
Yes | 56 (33.5) | 21 (12.4) | 0.000 |
No | 111 (66.5) | 148 (87.6) | |
On the advice of a friend/relative | |||
Yes | 34 (20.4) | 22 (13) | 0.048 |
No | 133 (79.6) | 147 (87) | |
Receive medicines from a friend/relative | |||
Yes | 19 (11.4) | 16 (9.5) | 0.347 |
No | 148 (88.6) | 153 (90.5) |
Pharmacy (n=167) | Nursing (n=169) | ||
---|---|---|---|
N (%) | N (%) | p-value | |
What do you do with unused medicines? | |||
Responses | |||
Throw it in the garbage | 0.252 | ||
Yes | 87 (52.1) | 95 (56.2) | |
No | 53 (31.7) | 57 (33.7) | |
I do not know | 27 (16.2) | 17 (10.1) | |
Flush in the sink/toilet | 0.1 | ||
Yes | 15 (9) | 10 (5.9) | |
No | 121 (72.5) | 139 (82.2) | |
I do not know | 31 (18.6) | 20 (11.8) | |
Return them to the pharmacy | 0.292 | ||
Yes | 19 (11.4) | 18 (10.7) | |
No | 122 (73.1) | 134 (79.3) | |
I do not know | 26 (15.6) | 17 (10.1) | |
Give to friends/relatives unused medicines | 0.13 | ||
Yes | 26 (15.6) | 35 (20.7) | |
No | 113 (67.7) | 117 (69.2) | |
I do not know | 28 (16.8) | 17 (10.1) | |
What do you do with expired medicines? | |||
Responses | |||
Throw it in the garbage | 0.835 | ||
Yes | 117 (70.1) | 123 (72.8) | |
No | 37 (22.2) | 35 (20.7) | |
I do not know | 13 (7.8) | 11 (6.5) | |
Flush in the sink/toilet | 0.335 | ||
Yes | 22 (13.2) | 16 (9.5) | |
No | 132 (79) | 144 (85.2) | |
I do not know | 13 (7.8) | 9 (5.3) | |
Burn them | 0.145 | ||
Yes | 10 (6) | 5 (3) | |
No | 143 (85.6) | 156 (92.3) | |
I do not know | 14 (8.4) | 8 (4.7) | |
Return them to the pharmacy | 0.303 | ||
Yes | 24 (14.4) | 17 (10.1) | |
No | 127 (76) | 140 (82.8) | |
I do not know | 16 (9.6) | 12 (7.1) |
Who is Responsible for the Disposal of Unused and Expired Medicines in Kosovo? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Pharmacy (n = 167) | Nursing (n = 169) | ||
Responses | N (%) | N (%) | p-value |
The pharmacist | |||
Yes | 50 (29.9) | 60 (35.5) | 0.192 |
No | 91 (54.5) | 93 (55) | |
I do not know | 26 (15.6) | 16 (9.5) | |
The Ministry of Health | |||
Yes | 107 (64.1) | 114 (67.5) | 0.332 |
No | 39 (23.4) | 42 (24.9) | |
I do not know | 21 (12.6) | 13 (7.7) | |
Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning | |||
Yes | 60 (35.9) | 29 (17.2) | 0.000 |
No | 80 (47.9) | 121 (71.6) | |
I do not know | 27 (16.2) | 19 (11.2) |
Does inappropriate disposal of unused and expired medicines affect health and the environment? | |||
---|---|---|---|
Pharmacy (n=167) | Nursing (n=169) | ||
Responses | N (%) | N (%) | p-value |
Yes | 159 (95.2) | 164 (97) | 0.062 |
No | 5 (3) | 0 (0) | |
I do not know | 3 (1.8) | 5 (3) |
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Shuleta-Qehaja, S.; Kelmendi, N. Pharmacy and Nursing Students’ Knowledge and Practices Concerning the Disposal of Unused and Expired Medicines in Kosovo. Pharmacy 2022, 10, 145. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy10060145
Shuleta-Qehaja S, Kelmendi N. Pharmacy and Nursing Students’ Knowledge and Practices Concerning the Disposal of Unused and Expired Medicines in Kosovo. Pharmacy. 2022; 10(6):145. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy10060145
Chicago/Turabian StyleShuleta-Qehaja, Selvete, and Nita Kelmendi. 2022. "Pharmacy and Nursing Students’ Knowledge and Practices Concerning the Disposal of Unused and Expired Medicines in Kosovo" Pharmacy 10, no. 6: 145. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy10060145
APA StyleShuleta-Qehaja, S., & Kelmendi, N. (2022). Pharmacy and Nursing Students’ Knowledge and Practices Concerning the Disposal of Unused and Expired Medicines in Kosovo. Pharmacy, 10(6), 145. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy10060145