Investigation of the Current Disposal Practices data of Unused Medicine among General Public in Achrol Village, Jaipur, Rajasthan (India): A cross-sectional study

Lack of knowledge and education is one of the major factors contributing to improper medication waste disposal. We aim to raise awareness of acceptable disposal procedures and minimize detrimental consequences on the ecosystem and community by collecting information on how to properly dispose of a wide variety of household medications. Interviews were conducted utilising a standardised questionnaire developed for a prior research to acquire the necessary data. There were two parts to the questionnaire: basic demographic information (age, gender, education level, and profession) and questions about medication storage and disposal (e.g., whether or not they kept unused medications at home, where they got them, what kind of drugs they were, why they weren't used if they checked the expiration date, and so on). If participants were 18 or older, they were eligible for inclusion. Three methods were used to gather information: a self-made survey, a Google form, and in-person chats. The questionnaire was reviewed by expert. The investigator conducted residence to residence self-structured interview. For a single residence, this amounted to an average of 15 minutes. As a result of their talk, the researcher had all the information they needed to properly complete the subject's questionnaire and data collecting form. The medicine use, storage, and disposal habits of family members, as well as questions on the prevalence of chronic disease, are all included in the questionnaire. Forms for collecting information are applied to document specifics about the remaining or expired medication. The proper use, storage, and disposal of medications were condensed into a brochure and disseminated to the public. Numbers and percentages were used to show the questionnaire data. We utilised descriptive statistics to classify the variables. The study was carried out with the assistance of Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 18. Among the 250 people who filled out the survey, the majority were men (n = 189, 75.6%) and women (n = 61, 24.4%), and the majority were also between the ages of 18 and 25 (n = 208, 83.2%). They have a literacy rate of above 98% (n = 247). Among those who participated in the survey, 71.6% (n = 179) were found to have at least one drug that was not being utilised. The majority of responders (n = 127, 50.8%) reported keeping unneeded medications until they had passed their expiration dates. Almost two thirds (n = 160, 64%) of the homes had suitable storage for their medications, consisting of either containers or shelves. The remainder of them lacked any kind of logical system for storing things. The vast majority of those polled (n = 209, or 83.6%) agreed that proper medication disposal is important. The majority of people surveyed in this research (n=213, 85.2%) agreed that more education is needed to raise awareness about the risks associated with inappropriate medication disposal and the best optimal way to do so.知识与教育的匮乏是引发药物废弃物不当处置的核心诱因之一。本研究旨在通过收集各类家庭药物的合理处置方案相关信息，提升公众对合规处置流程的认知水平，最大限度降低其对生态系统与社区造成的有害影响。 本研究采用一项既往研究开发的标准化问卷（standardised questionnaire）开展访谈，以获取所需调研数据。问卷分为两个模块：其一为基础人口统计学信息，涵盖年龄、性别、受教育程度与职业；其二为药物储存与处置相关问题，具体包括是否在家中留存未使用药物、药物来源、药物品类、未使用原因、是否查看药品有效期等。 本次研究的纳入标准为参与者年满18周岁。数据采集采用三种方式：自制调查问卷、谷歌表单（Google form）以及面对面访谈。问卷由行业专家进行评审。研究人员逐户开展自填式结构化访谈，单户访谈平均时长约15分钟。访谈完成后，研究人员即可完整收集受试者的问卷与数据采集表所需全部信息。 问卷内容涵盖家庭成员的药物使用、储存与处置习惯，以及慢性病患病情况相关调研问题。数据收集表用于记录剩余药品或过期药品的具体细节。研究团队将药物合理使用、储存与处置的相关要点整理为宣传手册并向公众发放。 调研数据以数值与百分比形式进行展示。本研究采用描述性统计（descriptive statistics）方法对变量进行分类分析。数据分析借助Microsoft Excel与SPSS 18版本完成。 在250名完成问卷的受访者中，多数为男性（n=189，占比75.6%），女性为61名（占比24.4%）；且多数受访者年龄介于18至25岁之间（n=208，占比83.2%）。受访者整体识字率超过98%（n=247）。在参与调研的受访者中，71.6%（n=179）的家庭至少留存有一款未使用的药物。多数受访者（n=127，占比50.8%）会将闲置药物留存至过期失效。约三分之二的家庭（n=160，占比64%）拥有合规的药物储存方式，例如专用药盒或置物架；其余家庭则未采用任何系统化的储存方式。绝大多数受访者（n=209，占比83.6%）认可药物合理处置的重要性。本研究中多数受访者（n=213，占比85.2%）认为，亟需开展更多教育活动，以提升公众对药物不当处置危害的认知，并推广最优处置方案。