Table 2.
Chinese physicians’ perceptions toward API pollution in environment and EPV (n=262)
| Survey question/statement | Respondents no. (%) | ||||
| Strongly agree | Agree | Undecided | Disagree | Strongly disagree | |
| Q1: APIs used in healthcare practices could finally enter into the environment. | 96 (37) | 113 (43) | 45 (17) | 8 (3) | 0 (0) |
| Q2: API residues in environment could cause adverse effects on ecosystem, wildlife species, even human beings. | 126 (48) | 108 (41) | 26 (10) | 2 (1) | 0 (0) |
| Q3: It is necessary to minimise the entrance of APIs into the environment. | 104 (40) | 125 (48) | 31 (12) | 2 (1) | 0 (0) |
| Q4: The control of API pollution is none of my business, because it should be the responsibility of environmental experts and regulators. | 5 (2) | 6 (2) | 73 (28) | 80 (31) | 98 (37) |
| Q5: API pollution could be ultimately traced back to the use of medications in healthcare practices. | 113 (43) | 96 (37) | 50 (19) | 3 (1) | 0 (0) |
| Q6: If there is an upstream intervention for controlling API entry to the environment, I would endorse it, and be very pleased to participate in its implementation. | 68 (26) | 99 (38) | 94 (36) | 1 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Q7: Based on the description of EPV given on the first page of this questionnaire, I think EPV is an effective tool to control API entry to the environment. | 83 (32) | 74 (28) | 98 (37) | 5 (2) | 2 (1) |
APIs, active pharmaceutical ingredients; EPV, ecopharmacovigilance.