Table 2.
Knowledge and practice regarding unused and expired medicine among Saudi pharmacy and nursing students.
| Characteristics | Pharmacy n(%) | Nursing n(%) |
|---|---|---|
| Do you check the expiry date of medicine before procuring? * | ||
| Yes | 92 (57.4) | 102 (53.4) |
| No | 37 (22.8) | 68 (35.6) |
| Don not know | 29 (18) | 18 (9.5) |
| What do you do with unused medicine? | ||
| Throw away in household garbage | 77(47.2) | 117(61.2) |
| Donate to hospital | 18 (11.2) | 9 (4.7) |
| Give to friends or relatives | 25 (15.5) | 39 (20.5) |
| Return to medical store | 11 (6.8) | 9 (4.7) |
| Keep at home until expired | 60 (37.6) | 100 (52.5) |
| Flush in toilet or sink | 11 (6.8) | 10 (5.3) |
| What do you do with expired medicine? | ||
| Throw away in household garbage | 110 (68.3) | 141 (74.2) |
| Flush in toilet or sink | 17 (10.6) | 12 (6.3) |
| Give to friends or relatives | 8 (5.0) | 4 (2.1) |
| Return to medical store | 13 (8.1) | 5 (2.6) |
| Don not know | 13 (8.1) | 27 (14.2) |
| Who is responsible for creating awareness of the proper disposal of unused and expired medicine? | ||
| Ministry of Health | 104 (64.6) | 155 (81.6) |
| Pharmaceutical industry | 19 (11.8) | 20 (10.5) |
| Pharmacist | 32 (19.9) | 31 (16.3) |
| General public | 21 (13) | 28 (14.7) |
| Improper disposal of unused and expired medicine can affect the environment and health.* | ||
| Yes | 132 (81.8) | 174 (91.9) |
| No | 29 (18.1) | 16 (8.7) |
* Missing responses.