Assessing the attitude and behaviour regarding the disposal of expired or unused medicines. Case study: Bucharest, Romania

Abstract

Given that expired or unused medicines can be dangerous to both public health and the environment, legislative regulations on their handling and management are set up worldwide. One of the most critical measurement is good consumer advice on the safe disposal of medicines. In this context, the purpose of the study was to assess the attitude of pharmaceuticals consumers in Bucharest towards their management and their disposal after the expiration date, as well as to review the policy of pharmaceutical institutions. The study results showed that but in 80% of the cases, consumers in Bucharest do not return expired drugs to pharmacies. Moreover, the population does not benefit from real information campaigns in this regard. The management of expired medicines is insufficiently regulated from a legal point of view, especially in terms of obligation, but also in regard to the sanctions applied to the entities that sell them, which has a severe impact on the current situation.

Keywords

• bucharest
• disposing
• expired or unused medicines
• perception
• romania